Huawei warns UK government not to bow to pressure and do U-turn on 5G rollout after coronavirus crisis – with Chinese tech giant saying removing them would do Britain a ‘disservice’
- UK Government has faced accusations it is putting national security at risk
- Ministers allowed the firm in January to help build Britain’s new data networks
- Huawei has now said it is focused on keeping UK connected during pandemic
- There are fears over Huawei’s involvement regarding its ties to Chinese state
- Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
Chinese telecoms firm Huawei has urged Britain to avoid making a U-turn over its involvement with the 5G network rollout amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The UK Government has faced accusations it is putting national security at risk after allowing the company in January to help build Britain’s new data networks.
Boris Johnson survived a major rebellion in March when 38 Tory MPs voted against Huawei’s involvement amid fears over its ties to the Chinese state.
Now, the company has said it is focused on keeping the UK connected during the pandemic, adding that disrupting its work in 5G would do Britain ‘a disservice’.
A man with a mask walks under a Huawei sign using his phone in Shenyang, China, on April 2
Huawei’s UK boss Victor Zhang said telecoms systems have faced ‘significant pressure’ since the virus first hit Britain, with home data use up by 50 per cent.
The company added that it is working with BT, Vodafone and EE to deal with the growth and has set up three new UK warehouses to keep spare parts in supply.
Mr Zhang also claimed that the crisis also highlighted how many rural communities are ‘stuck in a digital slow lane’, and excluding Huawei from 5G would be an error.
According to BBC News, Mr Zhang wrote: ‘There are those who choose to continue to attack us without presenting any evidence.
A woman speaks on her phone outside a Huawei store at a shopping centre in Beijing on April 1
‘Disrupting our involvement in the 5G rollout would do Britain a disservice.’
Senior Tories have previously claimed the Prime Minister is putting national security at risk by allowing the Chinese firm access to UK infrastructure.
The MPs attempted in March to limit the tech giant’s access by tabling an amendment seeking to ban ‘high-risk vendors’ from the system after 2022.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden tried to persuade the rebels not to revolt by pledging to work to ensure no such high-risk vendor is in the 5G network in future.
A woman wearing a mask walks past Apple and Huawei stores in Wuhan, China, on April 10
But after he refused to set a date for guaranteeing when Huawei will be out completely, 38 Tory MPs rebelled.
Although the Government won the vote with a 24 majority, the size of the revolt was a sign of the challenge facing ministers when they try to push through legislation.
The rebels were concerned that the Government’s decision to allow Huawei to supply ‘non-core’ elements of the 5G network could jeopardise security.
There are widespread fears across the Tory party that the decision could give China a ‘back door’ to spy on the UK’s telecoms network.
The White House has banned Huawei from US networks and has been highly critical of the Government’s decision, which came despite intense lobbying from America.
Former Tory party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said in March that the rebels were ‘genuinely concerned’ about Huawei, which he described as being ‘essentially almost completely owned by Chinese trade unions controlled by the state’.
He said: ‘The reality is that when it comes to security versus cost, my view is security wins every single time because I worry when we start compromising security.
‘If defence of the realm is our number one priority then this becomes demi-defence of the realm and I am not prepared to put up with that.’