British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke on the phone. Before Britain decided on whether to use Huawei for its 5G network.
Britain has reportedly been considering on using the Chinese manufacturer technology for the 5th generation network.
The two leaders discussed important regional and bilateral issues, including cooperation in ensuring the security of the two countries’ networks, the Guardian said in a statement.
The phone conversation between the two leaders came at a time when the U.K. will hold a National Security Council meeting next week. It is to decide whether to allow Huawei’s equipment for the 5G network project in the UK.
The U.S. has been calling for Huawei’s “boycott” from Britain and other allies, citing a “security threat.”
In particular, as a member of Five Eyes, UK has been voicing to exclude the use of Huawei tech. Five Eyes consists of five English-speaking countries — the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
U.K. is not the only member of the Five Eyes who is not following the US ban over Huawei in particular. Previously, Spark, a New Zealand company has also announced the use of Huawei tech for its 5G network.
For now, however, Britain is expected to allow some Huawei equipment.
Reuters reported on Sunday that the recommendation reached at a meeting of senior government officials, citing an unnamed source.
The source told the news agency that the Britain Huawei exclusion from the government plan is only from key parts of the sensitive network.
The British government’s plan might also mean a move to minimize the adverse impact on the telecommunications industry. While showing sincerity toward the U.S. by excluding Huawei’s equipment in key areas.
There have been concerns in the U.K. that excluding Huawei’s equipment could adversely affect trade relations with China.
