Beijing (AFP)
China attacked Britain's decision on Wednesday to blacklist Huawei equipment, saying London had been "fooled" by the United States.
By a decision welcomed in Washington, the British government chose Tuesday to exclude by 2027 the equipment of the Chinese telecom giant from its 5G network, the new generation of mobile internet.
In response, China "will take a series of measures to defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters.
"There is a price to pay" for this decision, she added without further details.
The White House, which suspects Huawei of potential spying for the benefit of Beijing, welcomed on Tuesday the choice of London, which "reflects a growing international consensus that Huawei and other actors pose a threat to national security because they remain indebted to the Chinese Communist Party. "
The Chinese spokeswoman accused London of having acted "in coordination with the United States to discriminate, repress and eliminate" Huawei.
"What does the United Kingdom really want? To keep its independent point of view? Or to be reduced to a vassal state, which is deliberately fooled by the United States?", Feigned to wonder Hua Chunying.
The British decision could strike a blow at Chinese investment in Britain, at a time when London is counting on the rest of the world to offset the effect of its exit from the European Union.
However, the sidelining of Huawei "seriously threatens the security of Chinese investment in the United Kingdom," said Ms. Hua.
"This raises the question of whether we can count on the fact that the British market remains open, fair and without discrimination," she said.
"We have also reminded all Chinese companies to attach great importance to the growing political risks they may face in the UK," said the spokeswoman.
© 2020 AFP