U.K. backtracks by banning Huawei from 5G network

Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei was set to play a key role in Britain’s new high-speed mobile phone network. But Britain made an abrupt about-face on Tuesday. British Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden told Parliament that cutting the company out would delay the new 5G network and cost an extra $2.5 billion, but added, “This has not been an easy decision, but it is the right one.”

Why did Britain change its mind? Western countries, including the United States, have grown increasingly concerned that Huawei poses a security threat. The United States warned it would reduce intelligence sharing with Britain if it incorporated Huawei into its mobile network. “Today’s decision by the UK to ban Huawei from its 5G networks advances Transatlantic security in the #5G era while protecting citizens’ privacy, national security, and free-world values,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read June Cheng’s report on why Huawei has become such a sore point in U.S.-China relations.