Britain set to ban Huawei from 5G
An about-turn that will likely see Britain on the wrong side of Beijing: Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to make a landmark decision to ban Huawei from Britain's 5G network.
The move will win plaudits from President Trump as the U.S. grapples with China's rising technological clout.
It pushed Johnson to reverse his January decision to grant Huawei a limited role in 5G.
And comes amid tensions over the crackdown in Hong Kong and the perception that China did not tell the whole truth over coronavirus.
Britain's National Security Council, chaired by Johnson, will meet on Tuesday (July 14) to discuss the Huawei issue.
The immediate reason given for the change in British policy is the impact of new U.S. sanctions on Huawei chip technology.
London says they affect the firm's ability to remain a reliable supplier in the future.
It's unclear how far Johnson will go on Tuesday.
Operators already had to cap Huawei's role in 5G at 35% by 2023.
Reducing it to zero over an additional two to fours years is now being discussed.
But some telecoms firms have warned that going too fast could delay key technology and disrupt services.
The U.S. says Huawei, the world's biggest producer of telecoms equipment, is an agent of the Chinese Communist State and cannot be trusted.
Huawei denies all such allegations.
Last week China's ambassador to London warned that Britain would face consequences if it shunned the company.
