Donald Trump's right-hand man vowed to put Britain at "the front of the line" for a post-Brexit trade deal today despite reviving warnings over Huawei.
Mike Pompeo stepped back from US threats to scupper a trade pact or break America's intelligence relationship with the UK - despite the Chinese giant being allowed into Britain's 5G network.
Huawei will be allowed into "non-core" parts of the UK's superfast mobile network in a move that has angered the US.
The US Secretary of State reiterated warnings about Huawei today at a Policy Exchange event as he visited the UK.
He branded China's communist party “the central threat of our times” warning: “It’s not about a technical back door. They have the front door.”
Warning the 5G deal was a "risk", he added: “We will never permit American National Security information to go across a network we do not have trust and confidence in.”
But he dismissed claims that the Huawei decision could ruin a post-Brexit trade deal.
He said: "The previous administration took the view that if the United Kingdom made this decision it would be at the back of the line. We intend to put the United Kingdom at the front of the line."
Mr Pompeo claimed a US-UK trade deal was an "enormous opportunity" to "set a model" for future standards.
But he warned there would be "contentious issues" on agriculture - as the US pushes the UK to accept chlorine-washed chicken.
Mr Pompeo told LBC: "We need to make sure we don't use food safety as a rouse to try and protect a particular industry.
"And then we need to have hard conversations about the places we have opportunities to give and take."
Despite the Huawei row, Mr Pompeo also said the Five Eyes security relationship “is deep, it is strong, it will remain”.
He added: "I am very confident that our two nations will find a way to work together to resolve this difference."
Mr Pompeo revealed he wanted to be in the UK on the day of Brexit - but Boris Johnson asked him to come a day early as it would be too "hectic".
Wishing the UK "Godspeed", he said the US has a “deep confidence in the people of the UK to deliver” on Brexit with “security, prosperity, wealth and opportunity” - claiming it could have "enormous benefits".
