British officials have proposed giving the Chinese company Huawei a limited role in building the future fifth-generation network in the United Kingdom, to avoid US pressure to impose a total ban on it due to Chinese espionage concerns, according to informed sources told Reuters.
The sources said that this recommendation, which was issued at a meeting of officials from the highest government departments on Wednesday, comes before the British National Security Council meeting next week to determine how to deploy Huawei equipment.
Officials suggested preventing the company from using the sensitive "core" part of the data from the network and restricted government systems, which accurately reflects the interim decision taken last year during the reign of former Prime Minister Theresa May.
One of the sources said, on condition of anonymity, that "the technical guidance and policy have not changed," adding, "Now it is up to political calculations."
A spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, "The debate on the issue of suppliers for the high-risk fifth-generation network is continuing, and upon completion it will be announced to Parliament."
Huawei declined to comment, and it has repeatedly denied spying allegations.
Britain lies at the heart of the geopolitical tug of war against Huawei, the largest manufacturer of mobile network equipment in the world.
In Britain’s first major test of exit from the European Union, the Johnson government must balance its “special relationship” with the United States with its valuable trade ties with China, and industry warnings that a Huawei ban would cost billions of dollars and delay the UK’s modernization of its network to the high-speed fifth generation .
One of the sources said that the proposed solution is a "calculated compromise", which could be presented to Washington as strict restrictions on the Chinese company, and it is also acceptable to British operators who are already using the company's equipment.
Any decision by Britain to allow Huawei a restricted role in the fifth-generation networks would anger American officials who say the company's equipment could be used by China to spy or sabotage, and the United States threatened to limit the exchange of intelligence with allies who refuse to commit to boycott Huawei.
UK intelligence officials have summoned Huawei for failing to address security gaps in its equipment, but say they have found no evidence of state espionage, and they believe they are able to manage any risks the company poses successfully.
Britain's two largest telecom operators - PT and Vodafone - also opposed the ban.
Vodafone currently uses Huawei products in the external parts of its network, but last year it stopped using them at the center until Western governments granted the company a full security clearance.