London: Former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has warned Boris Johnson that allowing Chinese company Huawei to build Britain's 5G network would compromise the ability of the Five Eyes countries to collect and share intelligence.



Mr Turnbull responded to the UK Prime Minister's challenge issued earlier that critics of Huawei should offer alternatives. Mr Johnson's National Security Council (NSC) is due to make a decision within a fortnight, nearly 12 months after the original determination was due.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's The World at One program, Mr Turnbull said the main risk the Australian security agencies had identified was not through potential Chinese interception of intelligence but by denial of access to the network.

Australian Labor and Liberal governments have blocked Huawei from the national broadband and 5G networks, while the US and New Zealand have implemented bans.