Pompeo plays down rift with Britain over Huawei

Video Credit: Reuters - Politics
Published on January 30, 2020 - Duration: 01:29s

Pompeo plays down rift with Britain over Huawei

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday sought to defuse tension over Britain’s decision to allow China’s Huawei a role in its communication network.

Adam Reed reports.


Pompeo plays down rift with Britain over Huawei

The United States isn't hanging around when it comes to a post-Brexit deal with the UK, with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying in London on Thursday (January 30) that Britain is in pole position for a trade deal.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, MIKE POMPEO, SAYING: "The previous administration took a view that if the United Kingdom made this decision, they'd be at the back of the line.

We intend to put the United Kingdom at the front of the line." That reassurance comes in the wake of the UK's announcement earlier this week that it will allow Chinese communications company Huawei partial access to its 5G network.

Defying the wishes of the Trump administration, but Pompeo sought to defuse any tension.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, MIKE POMPEO, SAYING: "We are evaluating exactly what the United Kingdom's decision was on Tuesday of this week.

And I am very confident that our two nations will find a way to work together to resolve this difference" However, Pompeo also described the Chinese Communist Party, which has ties to Huawei, as the biggest threat of the current era.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson granted Huawei a limited role in Britain's 5G mobile network on Tuesday (January 28), frustrating a global attempt by the United States to exclude the Chinese telecoms giant from the West's next-generation communications systems. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab along with Pompeo went on to say that a trade deal between the two countries can be completed before presidential elections later this year.

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