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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson PA Images

Johnson under pressure from key British allies over Huawei access to UK 5G network

A delegation of senior US officials are set to fly to London to raise their concerns directly with Number 10.

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER Boris Johnson is coming under renewed pressure from key British allies over his controversial decision to give Chinese tech giant Huawei a role in building the UK’s 5G network.

A delegation of senior US officials – including Donald Trump’s acting chief of staff – are set to fly to London to raise their concerns directly with Number 10, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Meanwhile, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that MPs on Australia’s intelligence and security committee have pulled out of a visit to the UK next month following a diplomatic row with Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.

Mick Mulvaney, who is leading the US delegation, is expected to call on the UK Government to change its decision on Huawei when they meet senior officials on Wednesday.

The Telegraph quoted a source close to the delegation as saying they expected to deliver a “bollocking” to British officials.

“One thing is on the agenda, and it’s not a trade deal – it is Huawei,” the source said.

The visit comes after an “apoplectic” President Trump reportedly vented his fury with Johnson when the Prime Minister telephoned him to explain the UK’s decision last month.

The US has repeatedly warned that it would withhold intelligence-sharing from any ally which allowed Huawei access to its communications networks, which it regards as a national security threat.

The furious row has led to Johnson reportedly delaying a planned visit to Washington which had been expected to take place over the spring.

A Number 10 spokesman insisted yesterday that the Prime Minister is still looking forward to travelling to the US but is “currently focused on driving through the government’s ambitious domestic agenda”.

huawei-security UK headquarters of Huawei in Reading Steve Parsons Steve Parsons

American concerns about China were underlined by US Defence Secretary Mark Esper who accused Beijing of stealing Western know-how while using its power to intimidate smaller neighbours.

“The Communist Party and its associated organs, including the People’s Liberation Army, are increasingly operating in theatres outside its borders, including Europe, and seeking advantage by any means, and at any cost,” he said in a speech to an international security conference in Munich.

Johnson has faced criticism for downgrading Britain’s presence at the event, with Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and MI6 Chief Alex Younger pulling out and newly-appointed Foreign Office Minister James Cleverly attending instead.

Australian concerns 

Meanwhile, the Sydney Morning Herald said the Australian intelligence and security committee had abruptly called off its visit next month when members had been expected meet their UK counterparts as well as senior intelligence and security figures.

The paper said the cancellation followed a letter from a senior Australian civil servant to committee chairman Andrew Hastie, rebuking him over a leak of details of a meeting with Raab when MPs on the committee confronted him over the Huawei decision.

Australia – which, like the US, is part of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance – has banned the Chinese firm from its 5G network because of the potential national security implications.

The chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Tugendhat, said the British government should take such concerns seriously, saying the country faces some “really serious strategic choices” when it comes to China.

“Personally, I would like to stand with countries that share the rule of law, human rights and the values I think are so important,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“That means standing with Australia and Canada. It also means standing with countries like France who have also rejected Huawei.

“The decisions we make today will affect how our children are governed in years to come.”

Tory MP Bob Seely, who was a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the last parliament, said the role of Huawei should form part of the Government’s forthcoming foreign policy and defence review.

“Having hi-tech from high-risk vendors in our critical national infrastructure is wrong on many levels – national security, personal data, Chinese leverage over the UK Government,” he said.

“The Aussies gave a very blunt opinion to the UK. The UK government should be listening to the message our allies are giving, not moaning that they are giving it.”

A government spokesman said: “We are clear-eyed about the challenge posed by Huawei, which is why we are banning them from sensitive and critical parts of the network and setting a strict 35% cap on market share.

“Our world-leading cybersecurity experts are satisfied that with our approach, and tough regulatory regime, any risk can be safely managed.”

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    Mute Ed
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    Feb 15th 2020, 5:57 PM

    If he had a backbone he’d tell the Americans where to go but they have him cornered over any potential trade deal. You just love to see it.

    142
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    Mute Laughable
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    Feb 15th 2020, 6:02 PM

    @Ed: but the want to trade with the big wide world :-)

    37
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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Feb 15th 2020, 6:17 PM

    @Ed: The US have told the UK to get in line when it comes to signing a trade deal.

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    Mute Peter Hughes
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    Feb 15th 2020, 6:36 PM

    @Ed: They have less independence now that when they were in the EU, they are weak and need a trade deal and are now being told what to do….loving this get used to it because you are now little fish swimming with the sharks.

    47
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    Mute Adam Hernes
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    Feb 15th 2020, 7:03 PM

    @Laughable: The Empire fell in the 1960s but shortly they joined the EU and that cushioned the blow. Now it’s time for the reality check!

    37
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    Mute Bobby wilson
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    Feb 15th 2020, 7:50 PM

    @Adam Hernes: but is EU not new empire of Europe with its capital in Berlin,

    10
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    Mute Derek
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    Feb 15th 2020, 5:58 PM

    So… “Spying is bad, unless we’re doing it”, then proceeds to throw toys from pram.

    109
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    Mute DK Innovation
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    Feb 15th 2020, 10:00 PM

    @Derek:
    Everyone knows it is Trump’s job to share intelligence with everyone, he can’t have China taking his job too.

    6
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    Mute John Considine
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    Feb 15th 2020, 11:20 PM

    @Derek: Nothing to do with spying. It’s about promoting US products, in this case those from CISCO, and trying to claw back the Chinese technological lead in this area. Huawei were too successful for their own good, that’s all.

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    Mute Dave Hammond
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    Feb 16th 2020, 1:55 AM

    @John Considine: agree 100% , the fact the US decided to squander trillions on pointless wars during the past 20 years as China focussed on becoming a superpower to overtake the US and become a world leader in mobile network tech , even the US infrastructure is poorly suffered too – and their ego cannot accept second place to the Chinese in 5G. As usual a problem mostly of their own making – last week they were suggesting buying up the shares in ericson and nokia to try compete – and how exactly are we suppose to trust the US from spying ? Hypocrisy.

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    Mute Hank Schrader
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    Feb 15th 2020, 6:41 PM

    Will that same delegation be bringing back over that woman who killed the kid outside the US airbase in the UK.. and then fecked off home to hide behind diplomatic immunity.. All seems like double standards to me.

    105
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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Feb 15th 2020, 6:11 PM

    “Easiest deals in the world” they said, “they’ll be queuing up to sign deals with us”, they said “we’ll get better deals than being part of the EU” they said. “Ooops….trump didn’t like” they say.

    This is going to fun……………….

    68
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    Mute Peter Hughes
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    Feb 15th 2020, 6:38 PM

    @Paul Furey: Hardly a word of it on the BBC website….I guess they are afraid to inform the Brexit bunch of reality….

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    Mute Robert Preston
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    Feb 15th 2020, 7:43 PM

    @Peter Hughes: Why are yo so obessed with Brexit . Johnson has made a mistake allowing Huawei to contridute to 5G .

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    Mute Burn_the_Witch
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    Feb 15th 2020, 8:34 PM

    @Paul Furey: At last, good for you, Trump made you happy about something. Ironically I feel bad for old Boris, off with his tail between his legs, but his master is right on this one.

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    Mute Jointheclubtoo
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    Feb 15th 2020, 6:15 PM

    Real,story, Trump doesn’t want the superior competition for his bosses and the vassal states are being told its not allowed.

    51
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    Mute Matthew O'Kane ☘️✊
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    Feb 15th 2020, 5:56 PM

    Lego hair johnson waffling again

    29
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    Mute James Brown
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    Feb 15th 2020, 8:12 PM

    ‘The US has repeatedly warned that it would withhold intelligence-sharing’

    With Trump in power, does the US actually have any intelligence to share!!

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    Mute lambda sensor
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    Feb 15th 2020, 8:39 PM

    @James Brown: Trump shares it off the cuff. Wants to be seen as a man in the know by players who know all about him.

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    Mute SO STRONG MY FACE IS
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    Feb 15th 2020, 9:43 PM

    @James Brown: took out Soleimani handy enough

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    Mute Paul Whitehead
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    Feb 16th 2020, 8:47 AM

    I expect those Chinese are spying. America , the UK or any western government would NEVER do that!!! NEVER!!!! It must have been the Chinese that implanted malware technology in Irans infrastructure a few years back? Must be the Chinese version of the NSA that is currently grabbing all private communications across the entire globe.When it suits Trump to allow Huawei access to the USA, for example as part of the China/USA trade talks, he will change his mind in an instant. Then they will be his ‘best friend, beautiful company, beautiful technology’. In the words of Tillerson, the man ‘is a F****** moron.’ Last week he signed a EO allowing the USA to manufacture and deploy/sell land mines. It is rare enough for a soldier to die from landmines as they are usually aware of where they are planted – but tens of thousands of civilians, often children, have. He is a gutless fraud, a coward, a charlatan and a gangster.
    China, in this instance, is selling internet connection technology, but the USA sells bombs and weaponry used by repressive regimes to anyone who wants them. Ask the thousands of maimed kids all over Yemen.

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    Mute Vinny Waugh
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    Feb 15th 2020, 7:44 PM

    Trumpets

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    Mute Pat Coyne
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    May 26th 2020, 3:45 PM

    Many people now realize that being dependent on a hostile totalitarian communist dictatorship for the manufacture of essential goods is profoundly stupid.
    Watch Dr Pippa Malmgren discuss China’s social credit system, artificial intelligence, robotics, big data, the future of technology, free will etc., on YouTube.

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