U.S. Makes Final Plea to Johnson to Block Huawei From 5G Network
- Deputy National Security Adviser leads delegation to London
- Britain and U.S. take different views of security risks
Senior U.S. officials visited London on Monday with a last-ditch plea that Boris Johnson’s government not allow Huawei Technologies Co. to supply equipment for its 5G broadband networks, warning that U.S. intelligence-sharing could be at risk.
The delegation, led by Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Pottinger and including officials from the State Department, argued that there was no way the U.K. could mitigate the security risks from such a network, according to a person familiar with the meeting.
Britain is currently weighing whether to use Huawei equipment as part of its 5G infrastructure. Supporters argue that the company’s equipment can be used in non-core areas in a way that keeps the network secure. But the U.S. warns that the effects of the leap to 5G technology are so poorly understood that the safest and best solution is to keep the Chinese company out altogether.