The Chinese ambassador to the UK has accused Tory MPs of mounting a “witch-hunt” after they raised concerns about Boris Johnson’s plan to grant Huawei access to the 5G network.
Liu Xiaoming praised ministers for their “good decision” to allow the Chinese tech giant to build some non-sensitive parts of the new infrastructure.
The PM has faced mounting criticism from within his own party over the plan amid fears that the company, classed as “high-risk” by officials, could be a major security breach.
US President Donald Trump was “apoplectic” in a phone call to Mr Johnson after the announcement of the decision, according to reports, which ignored Washington’s warnings over the firm.
Senior Tories including ex-ministers Iain Duncan Smith, David Davis and Damian Green wrote to the PM last week urging him to phase out Huawei’s involvement in the network over time.
But Mr Liu told the BBC: “They are totally wrong, I think what they are doing is a kind of a witch-hunt.
“Huawei is a private-owned company, nothing to do with the Chinese government and the only problem they have is they are a Chinese company.”
He said the Chinese government, which supports the firm with massive state subsidies, was pleased with Britain’s decision but not “100% satisfied” because a 35% cap on market share undermined free competition.
Mr Johnson had concluded, on the advice of security services, that any risks were manageable.
