The UK said on Friday it was pressuring the United States to create a 10-nation group that would develop its own 5G technology and reduce its reliance on China's controversial technology giant Huawei.
The issue is expected to be raised at the G7 summit, which will be hosted next month by US President Donald Trump against the backdrop of a sharp confrontation with China that has led to global outcry over the spread of the novel coronavirus. Has exceeded
The UK has allowed the Chinese world leader in 5G technology to build 35% of the infrastructure needed to build its new high-speed data network.
But Prime Minister Boris Johnson was informed by a Telegraph newspaper last week that he had instructed authorities to draw up plans to remove Huawei from the network by 2023 due to the strained relations with China.
The British government has already approached Washington about its plan to form a D10 alliance and has informed them of possible ways to find out.
Explaining why the UK initially allowed Huawei, a White House source told the Times: "We need new entrants to the market. That's why we had to go with Huawei at that time.
The key to this alliance is to allow as many 5G equipment and technology providers as possible to come forward. At the same time, make sure that these new entrants belong to like-minded democratic governments, thus eliminating security concerns.
Our option will be to put resources into technology companies in fellow European nations. Nokia and Ericsson are the only main European suppliers of 5G infrastructure, and specialists state they cannot provide the 5G networks as fast or economically as Huawei.
The plan to form a democratic alliance to overtake Chinese tech giant Huawei comes at a time when China is facing a global backlash for its initial response to the spread of the coronavirus. The consensus is also growing in British politics regarding the resumption of relations with Beijing, which has led to a global epidemic in Britain and its devastation.
In addition, there has been a concerted effort by the United States and several other countries to keep Huawei away from their countries' 5G networks. These countries have expressed concern about possible surveillance of China's official use of Huawei and its breach of national security.
The Times reported that the UK was proposing a "D10" club of democratic partners that would connect the G7 countries with Australia and Asian technology leaders South Korea and India.
It said one of the options was to invest in existing telecommunications companies in 10 member countries.
A Downing Street spokesman confirmed that the UK was reaching out to partners in search of an alternative to Huawei.
"We're looking for newcomers to the market to diversify, and that's what we've been talking about with our allies, including the United States," said a Downing Street spokesman.
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