A US official has warned that the UK’s leaked proposal to adopt Huaweitechnology for 5G mobile phone networks risks affecting intelligence cooperation with the US, prompting further criticism from Conservatives opposed to the plan. Robert Strayer, a deputy assistant secretary at the US state department, said on Monday that Huawei “was not a trusted vendor” and any use of its technology in 5G networks was a risk, contradicting the British stance.
The official said if an “untrusted vendor” was used by the UK or another western country, the US would “have to reassess the ability for us to share information and be interconnected” – implying that intelligence-sharing arrangements could be at risk.
