According to Reuters, U.S. officials are visiting Britain in an effort to persuade the government to ban Huawei.
The UK is expected to make a decision later this month on what role Huawei will or will not play in the country’s 5G rollout. Amid ongoing allegations that Huawei poses a security risk and could let Beijing spy on other countries, the U.S. has banned Huawei and lobbied for its allies to do the same.
Most recently, U.S. Senator Tom Cotton is working on a bill that would severely restrict intelligence sharing with countries that use Huawei. Given the close relationship the U.S. and UK enjoy, if such a bill were signed into law and the UK uses the telecom equipment giant, it could have a profound impact on how the two countries work together.
According to Reuters, British defense Minister Ben Wallace confirmed to the Sunday Times “that U.S. President Donald Trump and his advisers have threatened to cut off some intelligence to the UK if the National Security Council gives Huawei a green light.”
This would seem to indicate a willingness on President Trump’s part to sign Senator Cotton’s bill once it is drafted.
“It’s not a secret. They have been consistent. Those things will be taken into account when the government collectively decides to make a decision on it,” said Wallace.