US politicians are expressing a collective harumph over the UK’s decision to allow Chinese company Huawei to build part of Britain’s 5G network, which complicates issues of national security.
Today, US politicians took to Twitter to express their disdain over the UK’s decision to allow the Chinese telecom into Britain’s 5G infrastructure, which they believe could hurt relations between the US and the UK.
The decision by @BorisJohnson to allow Huawei into the UK’s telecommunications network is wrong, dangerous, and a grave shortsighted mistake.
Congress must work on a bipartisan basis to push back on this decision by the UK to open their arms to China’s surveillance state.
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) January 28, 2020
”China’s National Intelligence Law makes clear that the Chinese Communist Party can force any 5G supplier headquartered in China to turn over data and take other actions in secret” — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
British decision to accept Huawei for 5G is a major defeat for the United Statees. How big does Huawei have to get and how many countries have to sign with Huawei for the US government to realize we are losing the internet to China? This is becoming an enormous strategic defeat.
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) January 28, 2020
“Allowing Chinese telecommunications equipment into any part of a 5G network therefore creates unacceptable risks to national security, critical infrastructure, privacy, and human rights” — US State Department
Just as #China treats #Huawei‘s 5G role as political, the UK
& other European govts must address the politics of China’s Intelligence Law, the costs of securing 5G networks, & complicity in #Xinjiang abuses.We must be honest about the risks. The cost is not just the price tag.
— Senator Rubio Press (@SenRubioPress) January 27, 2020
“Huawei is aggressively spreading misleading and false information about its technical capabilities, ownership, and legal obligations to the People’s Republic of China and Chinese Communist Party” — US State Department
Big mistake. #Huawei is a product of communist China’s surveillance state, which routinely spies on & commits human rights violations against its own people.
Fostering this partnership with China will strain our relationship with one of our closest allies. https://t.co/I5KFw2brQs
— Rep. Michael Waltz (@RepMichaelWaltz) January 28, 2020
“Huawei cannot be trusted to tell the truth or protect the interests of others” — US State Department
The U.S. is disappointed with the U.K.’s decision on Huawei, a senior admin. official tells @EamonJavers. The official says there is “no safe option for untrusted vendors to control any part of a 5G network.” pic.twitter.com/67FjzgZVpk
— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) January 28, 2020
“We’re putting our allies and partners on notice about the massive security and privacy risks connecting to letting Huawei construct their 5G networks inside of their countries” — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
America has never been weaker. We have never had less influence. Not even our closest ally Britain, with a Trump soulmate in Downing Street, listens to us anymore. https://t.co/yvM1ZORtgS via @NYTimes
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) January 28, 2020
China has built “an Orwellian system of mass surveillance and ‘predictive policing’” — International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
By allowing Huawei into U.K. 5G network, @BorisJohnson has chosen the surveillance state over the special relationship.
Tragic to see our closest ally, a nation Ronald Reagan once called “incandescent with courage,” turn away from our alliance and the cause of freedom. @UKinUSA
— Rep. Liz Cheney (@RepLizCheney) January 28, 2020
“Ownership of Huawei is not transparent, and has a history of unethical and illegal behavior, including IP theft” — US State Department
The UK’s decision to incorporate Huawei into its 5G network is a disconcerting sign. By prioritizing costs, the UK is sacrificing national security and inviting the CCP’s surveillance state in. I implore our British allies to reverse their decision.
— Senator Mitt Romney (@SenatorRomney) January 28, 2020
The US government’s attempts to sway its allies into rejecting Huawei’s proposals to rollout 5G in their territories was dealt a major blow today when the UK announced it would allow Huawei to build parts of its 5G network despite being a high security risk.
This is bad news – bad decision by UK and bad trend from our European partners. #China is not an ally, it’s the biggest threat to our security in the 21st century https://t.co/h82tzih6Ip
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) January 28, 2020
The British government announced today, “Huawei’s cybersecurity and engineering quality is low and its processes opaque,” adding that:
- Huawei has a significant market share in the UK already, which gives it a strategic significance
- Huawei is a Chinese company that could, under China’s National Intelligence Law of 2017, be ordered to act in a way that is harmful to the UK
- The Chinese State (and associated actors) have carried out and will continue to carry out cyber attacks against the UK and our interests
Why the US is trying to block Huawei’s trans-continental courtship of allies over 5G: perspective
According to the US State Department, “Nations must take action now to ensure their 5G networks will be safe” because:
- Privacy will be threatened if intentional “backdoors” can skim personal data from citizens
- Security and safety will be threatened if “kill switch” attacks can disrupt or shut down 5G networks
- Human rights will be threatened if “smart cities” use surveillance technologies to limit personal freedom and target vulnerable citizens
- Economies will be threatened if intellectual property and trade secrets can be stolen
- Sovereignty will be threatened if nations rely on networks controlled by authoritarian governments
Huawei has been courting countries across the world in its quest to rollout its 5G network internationally where it has already received levels of success in places like South Africa and in India where it was granted a trial run.
Pompeo to Silicon Valley: ‘Don’t let China use American tech to power Orwellian surveillance state’
