Mark Esper, Ben Wallace to Reduce Huawei’s Role in UK’s 5G Networks

Defense Secretary Mark Esper has reached an agreement with the U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace to reduce the involvement of Huawei equipment and services in the U.K. 5G communications infrastructure.

During a recent joint press conference, Esper warned that giving Chinese vendors access to critical allied networks, including the intelligence alliance Five Eyes, could allow Beijing to access, disrupt, manipulate, and misuse vital information, which would then jeopardize the NATO alliance. In addition, the three-time Wash100 winner said the U.S. aims to ultimately exclude untrusted 5G vendor components from the U.K., MeriTalk reported.

Citing the threats posed by China, Wallace added that the U.K. will look into its integrated defense and foreign policy to ensure preparedness for the 21st century.

The effort to further restrict Huawei’s involvement in the U.K. 5G rollout builds on the decision by the U.K. government to bar the use of equipment and services from high-risk vendors.