China attacks UK ban of 5G kit

The Chinese government said it “strongly opposed” the UK’s “groundless” ban of Huawei’s 5G equipment.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the Beijing would “take measures to safeguard the legitimate interests of Chinese companies.” The UK’s digital secretary announced on Tuesday that Huawei 5G kits would not be allowed to be sold from the country’s telecoms networks from the 31 December and all other relative equipment will be removed from mobile networks by 2027.

The move has been welcomed by the US and has subsequently announced new restrictions against the corporation. Mike Pompeo, the Secretary of State, told a press conference; “The State Department will impose visa restrictions on certain employees of Chinese technology companies like Huawei that provide material support to regimes engaging in human rights violations and abuses globally,” President Donald Trump has seemingly taken credit for the UK’s action on Huawei after labeling the firm as a “big security risk.”

After the Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden stated in the Houses of Commons on Tuesday that it had not been an easy decision to make, it was “the right one for UK telecoms networks, national security and the UK economy.” 5G tech promises faster internet speeds and support to more wireless devices, there is already availability in a few towns and cities across the UK coverage, coverage still remains sparse and intermittent. In theory, the issue with 5G being rolled is the network could give Huawei control to spy and disrupt everyone's devices. This could be even more alarming for other devices that are connected to the internet, such as self-driving cars, fire alarms, and baby monitors.