We're not going Huawei even if you ban our 5G kit, Chinese firm tells UK

Translation: they're in Blighty to stay and they know it

Huawei has reportedly boasted that it will continue investing in the UK even if the British government U-turns on allowing the Chinese company to supply critical 5G mobile network equipment.

Speaking to Sky News, Victor Zhang, Huawei president of global government affairs, said the business will still flog its wares to Britons and their businesses alike even if mobile networks are prevented from buying Huawei-made 5G base station gear.

"Whatever happens on the political side will not impact Huawei's decision in the UK," Zhang told the broadcaster.

Referring to ongoing American allegations against his company, he said: "I believe that the UK government will make the right decision based on the facts and evidence."

After the recent change in government when Boris Johnson was elected the new leader of the ruling Conservative Party, and thus Prime Minister, some may have expected relations between UK administration and industry to reset. Addressing this, Zhang said: "We had very good communications with the previous government. We believe we will have very good conversations with the new government."

Theresa May's Cabinet decided, behind closed doors, to allow Huawei to continue supplying 5G mobile base station kit in spite of US allegations that Huawei acts as an espionage front for Chinese state spies. Revealing this decision cost former Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson his ministerial post.

As the Huawei-we-go-lads green light was not formally announced to the public before it was leaked to the Daily Telegraph by Williamson, the British political establishment pretends to this day that no decision has been made and that Huawei still has everything to play for. This is silly and reflects the state of British politics in 2019.

Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee said excluding Huawei from the UK's 5G network buildout would "lower security standards". Vodafone, a major UK and overseas mobile network operator, is all in favour of Huawei: CTO Scott Petty recently told us that banning Huawei would force the telco to strip Huawei kit out of all of its 4G base stations before it could start work on 5G.

Meanwhile, O2 – an Ericsson shop – is paying attention, having recently announced its Huawei-free 5G rollout plans. ®