LONDON • British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will put his friendship with United States President Donald Trump to the test this week as he announces whether to allow Huawei Technologies a role in the country's fifth-generation wireless broadband networks.
In the week that Britain ends its 45-year relationship with the European Union, Mr Johnson is expected to make a series of critical infrastructure decisions that could shape his premiership - and the country - for years to come.
Mr John is poised to allow Huawei to take a role in developing 5G, despite calls from Mr Trump to ban the Chinese firm over concerns that it could make the network vulnerable to spying in the future.
Huawei has always denied posing a security risk.
An announcement could come as early as today.
The Huawei decision is perilous for Mr Johnson. If he bans the company, he risks failing to equip Britain with the technology that Huawei is well placed to provide and betraying his pledge to voters to spread ultra-fast Internet services across the country.
If he allows Huawei to go ahead, he faces the potential loss of US intelligence cooperation and an angry backlash from the White House at a time when he is seeking a trade deal with Britain's closest ally.
Mr Trump and Mr Johnson discussed Huawei last Friday in a phone call following weeks of lobbying from the US to try to persuade the United Kingdom to ban the Chinese company from 5G networks over security concerns.
Secretary of State Michael Pompeo added his voice to the public warnings from US officials, ahead of a trip to Britain this week.
"The UK has a momentous decision ahead on 5G," he said on Twitter.
Mr Pompeo endorsed the view of British Conservative lawmaker Tom Tugendhat that "only nations able to protect their data will be sovereign".
One option Mr Johnson is considering is imposing a market share cap on Huawei, in a bid to avoid over-reliance on the Chinese company, according to the Financial Times.
On Sunday, Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said he was confident that Britain and the US would get a post-Brexit trade deal done despite the tensions over Huawei.
"The key issue in terms of the US trade deal is the clear intent of the Trump administration to have a trade deal with the UK," Mr Barclay told the BBC.
"They've been very clear in terms of how they prioritise that - that they want to have that deal. So yeah, there're issues in terms of 5G, but that is a UK decision."
The clock is also ticking for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to determine whether Huawei should be allowed to develop Canada's 5G wireless networks.
His mettle is being tested by a bitter feud with China over Huawei, whose chief financial officer is fighting extradition to the US on accusations that she tricked banks into violating Iran sanctions. Beijing bristled at Canada's detention of Meng Wanzhou at the end of 2018 during a layover in Vancouver.
China swiftly locked up two Canadians whom it accuses of spying and halted nearly C$5 billion (S$5.2 billion) worth of agricultural imports, plunging Sino-Canadian relations into their darkest period in half a century.
Mr Trudeau, who has sought Mr Trump's help in the dispute to no avail, poured cold water on suggestions that he halt Meng's extradition as part of a prisoner exchange for the Canadians. China is also lobbying hard for Canada to allow Huawei access to 5G.
Mr Trudeau's new Public Safety Minister Bill Blair did not offer any hints on the timing of a decision at last week's Cabinet retreat, but now says "there are a number of other significant economic and even geopolitical considerations being considered" alongside security issues.
BLOOMBERG
