Nigel Farage said there is “growing” concern in Washington over Boris Johnson’s decision to allow Chinese telecom giant Huawei the rights to work on Britain’s 5G infrastructure.
Following a meeting in the Oval Office, the leader of the Brexit Party said that many Republican senators and congressmen have “genuine” fears that allowing Huawei access to British 5G networks could jeopardize the security relationship between the two nations.
Mr Farage told The Telegraph that President Donald Trump’s official message is that “the UK must do what’s right for the UK” but he noted that the feeling in Washington is firmly against the move.
“I have picked up from speaking to some senators and congressmen this week a level of concern that does not appear to be going away. It is a genuine security concern,” Farage said.
“We believe in UK sovereignty. It is our choice to make. But it is, I have to say, one I’m very, very worried about, as I have been all the way through”, he added.
The British government has claimed it will constrain the role that Huawei plays in developing its 5G network, saying that the Chinese tech giant will be excluded from the “core” of the network and will only make up 35 per cent of the “periphery”.
Exclusive Video: Boris 5G Deal with Huawei Is ‘Madness’ – Hong Kong Watch Founder https://t.co/jcvNM2Rqm9
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) February 2, 2020
The decision by Prime Minister Boris Johnson has not only sparked a backlash in Washington. A group of senior Conservative Party members have written a letter to Number 10 to “rule out” Huawei from its 5G plans.
The letter, which was signed by former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Owen Paterson, David Davis, Damian Green, Tobias Ellwood, and Bob Seely called on Mr Johnson to “find a better solution”.
“We are seeking to identify a means by which we ensure that only trusted vendors are allowed as primary contractors into our critical national infrastructure” the letter said, per the BBC.
“Trusted vendors would be companies from countries that have fair market competition, rule of law, respect human rights, data privacy and non-coercive government agencies”, it continued.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith warned against trusting a company with alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party, saying that there should be “zero” involvement from Huawei and adding that the situation is “simply not manageable to have an organisation like that inside your important network”.
“You have an organisation from a country that is an aggressor in terms of cyber warfare and a company that is clearly totally and utterly in the hands of the Chinese government who demand absolute obedience on these matters”, Sir Ian warned.
UK Approves Huawei 5G, Throws Roadblocks in Path of Post-Brexit Trade Deal https://t.co/LjBRQ6eMIb
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) January 28, 2020
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