The United States has urged Britain to take a second look at its decision to give China's tech behemoth Huawei a limited participation in the development of its cutting-edge 5G telecoms system.
After touching down in the United Kingdom for meetings with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, US State Secretary Mike Pompeo said Huawei's part in the network poses a "risk" and insisted the Trump administration would ensure its information is always shared through reliable networks.
Johnson allowed Huawei a limited part in Britain's 5G mobile technology on Wednesday, disappointing an attempt by Washington to exclude the Chinese tech provider from the West's next-generation communications network.
The prime minister himself guaranteed the House of Commons that the decision would not jeopardize their relationship with Washington, despite criticisms from the US Republicans.
Johnson, who spoke to Trump via telephone after the Huawei disclosure, said the UK's decision would not imperil the extremely important security cooperation with the so-called "Five Eyes Alliance" which the US is a member of.
In what some sectors have compared to the Cold War enmity with the Soviet Union, the US is concerned that 5G supremacy is a breakthrough towards China's technological authority that could underscore the geopolitics of the 21st century.
The Trump administration says Huawei is an "extension of the Chinese government" and that it helps the country's intelligence to steal secrets - an allegation vehemently denied by Huawei.
In an interview with members of the press, Pompeo said there's a chance for the UK "to relook" at this as 5G technology's implementation pushes forward.
The British government has emphasized that Huawei will be given a 35 percent cap in share in "non-core" segments of the 5G network like radio masts and antennae. And regulators aim to limit the 35 percent maximum allowable share as other suppliers' products come on-stream in the coming years.
British officials have also insisted that the security of intelligence data will not be compromised by the Chinese telco's engagement in 5G, which will tremendously hike mobile communications capability and support services via artificial intelligence.
Huawei, the largest maker of telecoms hardware in the world, has claimed the US just wants to distort its growth because no American firm could provide the same array of technology at a reasonable rate.
Johnson reiterated that he wanted to ensure that people have access to the most advanced technology but that his decision on Huawei would not impair relations with the US.
