The right call on Huawei

摘要

ON APRIL 24TH the news broke that Britain's government had decided to permit parts of the country's 5G mobile networks to be built by Huawei, a Chinese firm. Many Americans and other friends of Britain will be appalled by its decision and fear that the country is being naive and toadying up to China. Huawei has, after all, become one of the most controversial firms in the world and sits at the centre of a geopolitical storm. America worries that the telecoms equipment-maker is a Trojan horse for China's spies and autocrats and poses a grave threat to Western interests. It has been urging its allies to ban it. Britain's decision matters: it is a member of the "Five Eyes" intelligence-sharing alliance led by America, and was one of the first Western economies in which Huawei built a presence. Britain also has experience of electronic spying and knows Huawei well. Far from being a betrayal, Britain's approach, of using the firm's gear on the edges of 5G networks, under close supervision, offers a sensible framework for limited commercial engagement while protecting Britain's security and that of its allies.