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Britain’s sovereignty will be in jeopardy if it allows Chinese tech giant Huawei to build its 5G network, Donald Trump’s Secretary of State has warned.
In an escalation of pressure on Boris Johnson, Mike Pompeo said the UK had a “momentous” decision to make this week over whether to allow Huawei to form part of the UK’s 5G infrastructure.
The prime minister is on a collision course with Trump’s administration over the Chinese telecoms giant – which the US has banned from its 5G networks over potential security risks and urged allies to do the same.
Ministers are expected to make a decision on Huawei at a crunch meeting of the National Security Council on Tuesday, with reports emerging that Johnson is poised to allow Huawei restricted access to the UK’s network.
The tensions come just days before post-Brexit trade talks were due to begin, prompting fears over the impact of a row with Trump on a crucial trade deal with the US.
Pompeo, who will visit the UK this week, wrote on Twitter: “The UK has a momentous decision ahead on 5G.
“British MP Tom Tugendhat gets it right: ‘The truth is that only nations able to protect their data will be sovereign’.”
He pointed to comments by the Conservative former chair of the foreign affairs committee, who has spoken out against allowing Huawei access to a super-fast 5G network.
Mr. Tugendhat said: “Sovereignty means control of data as much as land.
“We need to decide what we’re willing to invest in and who were willing to share our tech with.
“The real costs will come later if we get this wrong and allow Huawei to run 5G.”
Jeremy Hunt, the former foreign secretary, warned against the UK becoming “dependent” on the Chinese company for something so vital.
The UK has a momentous decision ahead on 5G. British MP Tom Tugendhat gets it right: “The truth is that only nations able to protect their data will be sovereign.” https://t.co/8lLEUEUxdL
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 26, 2020
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today program: “I must admit I always wondered whether it was wise to allow ourselves to become technologically dependent on another country, whichever country, for something as critical as 5G technology.
