Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Boris Johnson to cut Huawei from UK’s 5G network by 2023 as own party rebels & US steps up anti-Beijing pressure – report

Boris Johnson to cut Huawei from UK’s 5G network by 2023 as own party rebels & US steps up anti-Beijing pressure – report

The UK government is set to terminate Chinese telecom Huawei from the country’s 5G network over the next three years, according to British media, with PM Boris Johnson facing intense pressure from Washington – and his own party.
Johnson has instructed officials to devise a plan that would see Huawei completely phased out of the UK 5G network by 2023, the Telegraph reported on Friday. The move marks a sudden about-face for the PM, who previously backed the company’s involvement in the network.

During a House of Commons session on Thursday, Johnson signaled a coming change to UK policy on the Chinese firm, telling Conservative MP Richard Drax that he is “absolutely right” to be concerned about Huawei and the “buying up of UK technology by countries that ... may have ulterior motives.”

Though the UK government previously labeled Huawei a “high risk vendor” over fears it would carry out spying for Beijing, Johnson approved the company’s participation in the network earlier this year with support from British intelligence agencies. The decision was bemoaned in Washington – a vocal critic of both China and Huawei – with US officials warning the company would steal state secrets “wholesale.” US President Donald Trump also weighed in, even threatening to restrict the UK’s access to intelligence shared between the Five Eyes nations. But despite the pressure campaign, London decided to cap Huawei’s network share at 35 percent, allowing for a limited role.

Huawei, for its part, has repeatedly rejected allegations that it takes marching orders from Beijing, arguing the US seeks to squeeze it out of the international market to insulate American telecoms from competition. “What is the real fear?” the company’s chief security officer John Suffolk asked last year. “Is it because it’s China, or because [our] technology is better?”

Johnson’s plan has faced opposition much closer to home as well, with a growing number of Conservative MPs breaking ranks with the prime minister and taking up an increasingly hostile stance toward Beijing. Adopting similar rhetoric to their Republican counterparts in the US, the rebel Tories have blamed the Chinese government for the Covid-19 pandemic while calling for a complete expulsion of Huawei from the UK network.

In March, Tory MP Iain Duncan Smith introduced an amendment seeking to force Johnson’s hand on the Huawei issue, calling on the government to slash the company’s UK market share to zero by 2022. While the proposal ultimately lost out by 13 votes, Smith’s amendment was backed by 37 other Conservative lawmakers, who have since continued to push back against any involvement for the Chinese telecom – apparently with some success.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Budapest Central European Fashion Week Kicks Off
U.S. Celebrates Labor Day
Hungarian National Team Captain Scores Epic Goal
×