China expert: Corona crisis has affected Britain around Huawei

On Tuesday, the British government announced that they would completely stop Huawei from the country's 5G expansion. From 2027, the UK's new digital infrastructure will be completely free from the Chinese telecom giant.

Tim Rühlig, China expert at the Foreign Policy Institute, believes that the corona crisis played a major role in the decision.

- If you had asked me nine months ago, I would not have thought this would happen. But if you look back a couple of months, it was expected. During the corona crisis, more and more Britons have become critical of China, he says.

What does this mean for Huawei?

- It's a big setback. After Brexit, it was conceivable that the British would be left without alternatives. It is very negative to lose Britain, says Tim Rühlig.

The security aspect has been a hot topic around the Chinese company. The telecom giant has been accused of using its technology to spy, but Tim Rühlig does not think that is the only thing that made the decision.

- There is also a political purpose. It's about how dependent you want to be on China, that you want to reduce your dependence on China, he says.

The Chinese company has been a major player in the British market for a long time.

- Even if people can continue to buy phones, this is a critical decision for them. I do not think at all that we will see as many of them in the future, says Tim Rühlig.

He also believes that other European countries will look at the British - even though they are no longer part of the EU - when they themselves have to make decisions about their 5G expansion. Especially countries like Germany and Italy that have not yet decided on the issue.

- It is not a yes or no, stop or not stop. It could rather be a compromise where you still get closer to the British decision to stop or at least to partially stop Huawei.