‘Disappointing and wrong’: China accuses West of ‘manipulation’ over UK ban on Huawei 5G

'It has become questionable whether the UK can provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for companies from other countries,' says China's ambassador to Britain

China has condemned the UK’s decision to ban technology giant Huawei from taking part in the country’s high-speed wireless network and accused Britain of colluding with Washington to hurt Chinese companies.

Boris Johnson announced Tuesday that Huawei Technologies would be banned from work on the network as US sanctions made it impossible to ensure the safety of Chinese-supplied equipment.

China’s ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, tweeted after the announcement: “Disappointing and wrong decision by the UK on Huawei. It has become questionable whether the UK can provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for companies from other countries.”

A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, Hua Chunying, said the decision was made “without any concrete evidence”, adding: “The United Kingdom took unfounded risks as an excuse and cooperated with the United States to discriminate, suppress and exclude Chinese companies.”

She added that Beijing would warn Chinese companies “to attach great importance to the increasing political security risks” they face in Britain.

The Trump administration accuses Huawei of being a security risk and has been lobbying for European and other allies to shun the company as they upgrade their telecom networks. Last year, the US imposed restrictions on Huawei’s access to American components and other technology.

The US president told reporters that no White House “has been tougher on China” than his administration and added: “I talked many countries out of using [Huawei]. If they want to do business with us, they can’t use it.”

China’s foreign ministry said Mr Trump’s comments on Huawei proves the latest ban is not about national security, but political manipulation.

The move to remove Huawei equipment from the UK’s 5G network by 2027 will cost billions and delay the deployment of 5G by up to three years, but the UK is trying to broker a post-Brexit trade deal with the US.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock acknowledged the US sanctions played a role in the ban, but insisted in an interview with Sky News that it was “a sensible decision”.

Additional reporting by agencies