Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei has said the UK “won’t say no to us” when it comes to the rollout of 5G, while also praising Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Ren made these remarks to Sky News amid ongoing debates about whether Huawei should be permitted to supply equipment for critical national infrastructure. The comments come as the UK reassesses its approach to Huawei’s involvement in 5G networks.
Reports indicate that the previous government led by Theresa May had been open to allowing Huawei equipment into “non-core” parts of 5G infrastructure. Early signs under Boris Johnson’s administration, however, suggest a closer alignment with US security concerns and a more cautious stance on permitting Huawei’s participation.
Earlier this week, US national security adviser John Bolton told reporters that UK officials appeared to be “looking really from square one on the Huawei issue” and were determined not to compromise telecommunications security in the 5G space. That comment reflected heightened transatlantic scrutiny over potential risks to national security.
In his Sky News interview, Ren complimented Boris Johnson, calling him “very decisive” and “very capable,” and suggested the UK could develop into “a huge industrial power” by emphasizing technologies such as artificial intelligence and genetics.
The UK remains a member of the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance alongside the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. That partnership amplifies US interest in ensuring British telecom networks are secure, and it increases pressure on the UK to limit potential vulnerabilities linked to foreign vendors. Chinese companies’ roles in critical infrastructure are likely to be a sensitive topic in any future trade discussions between the UK and the US following Brexit.
A series of scandals
Huawei’s reputation in the West has been damaged by several high-profile incidents. The 2018 arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou on allegations related to the mischaracterization of a company called Skycom and potential breaches of US sanctions on Iran drew global attention and intensified scrutiny of the company.
More recently, a Wall Street Journal report alleged that some Huawei employees helped an African government intercept encrypted communications to monitor political opponents, reportedly using a tool called Pegasus. Huawei has stated that company executives in China were unaware of those actions and that the company has never engaged in “hack” activities.
Concerns about Huawei’s involvement in Africa are not new. When Huawei installed the African Union’s network at its Addis Ababa headquarters in 2003, observers noticed unusual network activity during late-night hours and raised questions about whether information was being exposed. A French security firm examining the equipment later identified software vulnerabilities that appeared to be sending data to Beijing.
The UK has stressed that any final decision about vendor participation will rely on its national security reviews. All Huawei telecommunications equipment used in UK networks is subject to inspection at the Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre (HCSEC) in Banbury.
Ren told Sky News: “I think they won’t say no to us as long as they go through those rigorous tests and look at it in a serious manner and I think if they do say no, it won’t be to us.”
Until last year, HCSEC reported confidence that security risks could be mitigated. However, a subsequent report criticized Huawei for being slow to address issues and even flagged new concerns. The report stated that HCSEC had “continued to identify concerning issues in Huawei’s approach to software development, bringing significantly increased risk to UK operators, which requires ongoing management and mitigation.”
For Huawei to avoid being excluded from UK 5G deployments, the company must demonstrate clearer, faster remediation of security concerns and strengthen transparency with government and intelligence bodies. It must also take steps to prevent further involvement in high-profile controversies that erode trust.
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