US welcomes UK’s decision to ban Huawei from its 5G networks

Washington, July 15

The United States on Tuesday welcomed the information that the United Kingdom plans to ban Huawei from future 5G networks and section out untrusted Huawei gear from present networks, with President Donald Trump saying that international locations have to decide on between the US and China on this problem.

“With this decision, the UK joins a growing list of countries from around the world that are standing up for their national security by prohibiting the use of untrusted, high-risk vendors,” US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mentioned.

The US, he mentioned, will proceed to work with the UK on fostering a safe and vibrant 5G ecosystem, which is important to transatlantic safety and prosperity.

At the White House, throughout a Rose Garden press convention, Trump mentioned he satisfied many international locations and he did it himself for probably the most half, to not use Huawei.

“Because we think it is an unsafe security risk, it is a big security risk,” the president mentioned.

“I talked many countries out of using it. If they want to do business with us, they cannot use it. Just today I believe the UK announced that they are not going to be using it and that was up in the air for a long time, but they have decided, and you look at Italy, you look at many other countries,” he mentioned.

Asserting that the momentum in favour of safe 5G is constructing, Pompeo mentioned the UK joins democracies such because the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Sweden in banning Huawei from future 5G networks.

“Clean carriers like Jio in India, Telstra in Australia, SK and KT in South Korea, NTT in Japan and others have additionally prohibited the usage of Huawei gear of their networks.

“Countries need to be able to trust that 5G equipment and software will not threaten national security, economic security, privacy, intellectual property or human rights,” Pompeo mentioned because the British transfer was welcomed by prime American lawmakers.

Democratic Senator Mark R Warner, Vice-Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and co-chair of the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus, hoped that the Trump Administration will start to have interaction multilaterally with like-minded allies on selling safe and competitively-priced options to Huawei gear.

“My bipartisan legislation, the United Strategic Allied Telecommunications Act, would be a major step in the right direction and I hope to see it included, fully funded, in the eventual defence authorisation act,” he mentioned.

Senator Jim Risch, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, mentioned he’s relieved to listen to that the UK has initiated a plan to take away Huawei merchandise from its communications programs.

“I have long been concerned about the national security risks posed by allowing high-risk vendors such as Huawei, and with them, the Chinese Communist Party, into any of our allies’ telecommunications infrastructure. I know this has not been an easy decision to make, but it is the right one,” he mentioned.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai mentioned he’s happy to see the motion being taken by the UK to deal with the safety issues they’ve recognized with permitting gear from Huawei into 5G networks.

“There is an overwhelming consensus that Huawei is in a position to exploit network vulnerabilities and compromise critical communications infrastructure for the benefit of the Chinese Communist Party. The UK has taken a necessary step to safeguard its national security as it builds out advanced networks,” he mentioned.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith and Ranking Member Mac Thornberry described it as a reassuring growth that may profit not solely British safety and privateness, however the skill of those international locations to work much more intently collectively on very important safety issues.

“Both our countries have much work ahead to replace Huawei equipment in our networks as soon as possible,” they mentioned.

Supporting the British resolution to forestall the inclusion of latest Huawei gear within the UK 5G community and the aim of eradicating all Huawei gear from the community by 2027, Congressman Mike Turner mentioned Huawei’s inclusion within the UK 5G community straight places in danger the power of the Five Eyes alliance to proceed because it has since World War II.

“Today’s announcement alleviates the US’s critical concern that any information shared with the UK would inadvertently be shared with the Chinese Communist Party through Huawei’s inclusion in its 5G network,” he mentioned. PTI