Is the UK’s decision to approve limited 5G role for Huawei a sign of things to come? It is certainly a brave move and flies against multiple US warnings. It also signals the Prime Minister’s intent to be more progressive and show the world that the country is open for business.
If the government had put a blanket ban on Huawei and followed the US, just to appease the US, then it would have isolated this country from China and still not guaranteed any trade benefits from the US.
It is a delicate balancing act and the UK has rarely been a subtle nation (think Palmerston’s gunboat diplomacy). Yet these are the type of skills that this country needs to excel in over the coming months and years.