UK sets up new inquiry into Huawei security risk

The UK government has set up a new inquiry into any security implications surrounding Huawei's involvement in the country's 5G networks as a result of the US sanctions against the Chinese tech giant, it emerged on Monday.

The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which is in charge of Britain's cyber security, is taking the lead on examining additional risks to Huawei products that may arise from the latest US sanctions.

The security and resilience of our networks is of paramount importance, an NCSC spokesperson said.

Following the US announcement of additional sanctions against Huawei, the NCSC is looking carefully at any impact they could have to the UK's networks, the spokesperson said.

The US government had unveiled a plan earlier this month to block global chip supplies to Huawei, the latest move amid growing US-China tensions in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The sanctions restrict Huawei from using US technology and software to design its semiconductors.

The US in recent months has increased its action against Huawei, preventing it from doing business in the US, as it believes the company known for its technological advancement in 5G is being used by the Chinese leadership to serve their interest.

Responding to the UK review, Victor Zhang, vice-president at Huawei, said, "Our priority remains to continue the rollout of a reliable and secure 5G networks across Britain.

"We are happy to discuss with NCSC any concerns they may have and hope to continue the close working relationship we have enjoyed for the last 10 years."