Johnson Huawei Plan at Risk; U.K. Set to Rethink China Ties
- Officials say bill giving Huawei role in 5G difficult to pass
- Mood hardens among Conservatives over China pandemic response
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Boris Johnson’s plan to let Huawei Technologies Co. help build the U.K.’s fifth-generation mobile networks is under threat from mounting opposition to the Chinese company in his ruling Conservative Party, government officials say.
The government had hoped to win over Tory rebels with an information campaign about Huawei ahead of an as-yet-unscheduled vote in Parliament on the company’s involvement in the country’s 5G infrastructure. But two people familiar with the government’s thinking now believe that a hardening of positions among rank-and-file Conservative MPs will make it difficult -- if not impossible -- to get the legislation passed.