5G Technology Fears Growing? US Senators Urge British Government To Reconsider Stance On Huawei

A group of bipartisan U.S. senators are urging the British government to reconsider its decision to allow Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei to partake in the country’s 5G rollout.

“Given the significant security, privacy, and economic threats posed by Huawei, we strongly urge the United Kingdom to revisit its recent decision, take steps to mitigate the risks of Huawei, and work in close partnership with the U.S. on such efforts going forward,” the senators wrote in a letter to the House of Commons.

The letter was signed by 20 senators, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Richard Burr, R-N.C.

In January, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the U.K. would allow Huawei to take part in its 5G rollout, but said that the company would be restricted from the network’s “core” functions. The decision angered the White House, resulting in a reportedly “apoplectic” phone call between Trump and Johnson.

The Trump administration has claimed that Huawei uses 5G networks to obtain sensitive information and hand it over to the Chinese government. Huawei has repeatedly denied the allegations.

Germany and France are two European nations currently deliberating on the role of Huawei in their next-generation networks. France’s cybersecurity agency is screening Huawei’s 5G equipment, as the Chinese telecom giant pledges to open up a factory in the country.

“The plant will be built in France, whatever the French government’s decision, as it is part of our strategy,” Minggang Zhang, the Deputy Managing Director at Huawei France told Reuters Wednesday.

Switzerland and Hungary are two European nations with strong relationships with Huawei. U.S. authorities have contacted the Swiss Foreign Ministry several times this year to raise concerns about the company.