Government’s view on Huawei shifting, says ex-mi6 chief
● Security expert expects Chinese firm to be removed from 5G network
The Government appears to have “changed its view” on the use of equipment made by Chinese telecoms company Huawei in the UK’S 5G network, a former head of MI6 has said.
Sir Richard Dearlove has previously outlined his strong opposition to the Government’s plan to allow a limited role for Huawei in the new mobile phone infrastructure despite its own acknowledgment that it is a “high-risk vendor”.
Speaking to Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday show, Sir
Richard said the UK should become “more assertive” with China as the country has become “more aggressive”.
Asked if the Government will change its mind on allowing Huawei a role in the building of the UK’S 5G network, Sir Richard said: “That’s certainly my expectation.
“I mean, I don’t have any direct inside knowledge but I think I’m one of the individuals who has been pressing very hard for Huawei to be excluded from the UK’S 5G.
“The problem is we have had a close relationship with Huawei dating back, I think, to the year 2000, so getting Huawei out of the systems can’t be done rapidly – it will have to be done cumulatively over time.
“But it looks to me now as though the Government have changed their view. There’s a technical aspect to this because since the American embargo on Huawei was imposed it’s not clear that they’re going to be able anyway to provide the 5G equipment on which the system will depend. I’ve always believed that there is a strategic security reason for not allowing the Chinese that degree of involvement in the construction of our critical infrastructure.”
He added: “I think the relationship between the Chinese state and Huawei is absolutely clear-cut.
“Huawei is not a sort of ordinary international telecommunications company – it’s an intimate part of the Chinese state.
“If you know anything about Chinese military strategy, they talk about the fusion of civil and military capabilities. There is a close linkage between Chinese military capability and Huawei.”
Sir Richard – who led the security service from 1999 to 2004 – said the Chinese government’s cyber attack capability “is a threat” to the UK.
Asked what the risk to the UK was of a cyber attack orchestrated by the Chinese government, he said: “Of course it is a threat.
“They have a significant capability in this area and they can probably do it in a manner where, although you probably know who the culprit is, they could ... make it deniable and say, ‘Oh, well, it wasn’t us’.
“Of course it’s a threat and I think we’ve known quite significantly that the Chinese have developed this capability and are prepared to use it.”
Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said a decision on Huawei would be made by the National Security Council and announced to Parliament.