‘Furious’ US officials visit London to hand Boris Johnson a ‘b******ing’ over Huawei 5G approval


‘Furious’ US officials visit London to hand Boris Johnson a ‘b******ing’ over decision to allow Huawei to take part in UK’s 5G network as former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith says the way the UK has ‘cosied up’ to Beijing is ‘an embarrassment’

  • Delegation led by White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney due in UK tomorrow 
  • Mr Johnson announced Huawei would be allowed limited 5G role in January
  • Decision angered Trump administration and many backbench Tory MPs 

US officials are set to give Boris Johnson a furious  ‘b******ing’ over the UK’s decision to allow Huawei a role in the UK’s 5G network, it was reported today.

A delegation led by Donald Trump’s acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney is due to meet key No 10 figures amid a transatlantic row over the the Chinese tech giant.

The Trump administration is furious that a company it believes is a security risk has been approved for a role in the advanced telecommunications network, with Mr Trump on Sunday warning that intelligence sharing could be put at risk.

And many backbench Tories angry about the controversial decision announced by Mr Johnson in the Commons are set to meet the US team.

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith told The Telegraph: ‘For the past two decades, we’ve cosied up to China in a way that is becoming an embarrassment.’

A delegation led by Donald Trump's acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney (above right)  is due to meet key No 10 figures amid a transatlantic row over the the Chinese tech giant.

A delegation led by Donald Trump’s acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney (above right)  is due to meet key No 10 figures amid a transatlantic row over the the Chinese tech giant.

The Trump administration is furious that a company it believes is a security risk has been approved for a role in the advanced telecommunications network

The Trump administration is furious that a company it believes is a security risk has been approved for a role in the advanced telecommunications network

The Trump administration is furious that a company it believes is a security risk has been approved for a role in the advanced telecommunications network

On Sunday night Mr Trump conveyed a tough message to key allies including the UK and France over Huawei at a security conference in Munich. 

The American ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, said the president told him to make clear ‘any nation who chooses to use an untrustworthy 5G vendor will jeopardise our ability to share intelligence and information at the highest level’.

The rebuke came after Boris Johnson sparked fury from Mr Trump by announcing that the Chinese tech giant will be allowed a limited role in Britain’s communications upgrade. 

Australian MPs are also believed to have cancelled a visit to the UK next month amid the bitter row over Huawei. Canberra has also refused to allow Huawei involvement in its telecoms systems.

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith told The Telegraph : 'For the past two decades, we've cosied up to China in a way that is becoming an embarrassment'

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith told The Telegraph : 'For the past two decades, we've cosied up to China in a way that is becoming an embarrassment'

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith told The Telegraph : ‘For the past two decades, we’ve cosied up to China in a way that is becoming an embarrassment’

Mr Johnson gave the go-ahead for the company to help build 5G in January, despite concerns by allies including the US. It will be subject to tough restrictions, such as being barred from the ‘core’ network and a maximum 35 per cent market share.

Despite a relatively muted response in public, Mr Trump was said to have been ‘apoplectic’ with anger in a phone call to Mr Johnson.

Mr Grenell, who has been attending the high-profile security conference in Munich, said on Twitter last night: ‘@realDonaldTrump just called me from AF1 and instructed me to make clear that any nation who chooses to use an untrustworthy 5G vendor will jeopardize our ability to share Intelligence and information at the highest level.’

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the conference on Saturday that Huawei was a ‘Trojan horse for Chinese intelligence.’

The tech firm has dismissed the US allegations and Beijing has complained of ‘economic bullying.’