Failure to officially announce whether the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei would be allowed into this country’s 5G network is damaging the UK’s international relationships, and a decision needs to be made on the issue as a matter of urgency, according to the Commons Intelligence and Security Committee.

The committee stresses that the decision is not just a technical one but one that is geostrategic, and Britain must not do anything that damages intelligence sharing with its “Five Eyes” partners – US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The Trump administration has been pressing the UK to block the involvement of Huawei because of its links with the Beijing government and warned that the exchange of secret and sensitive information may be at risk if the government went ahead and allowed the Chinese company entry. The other three countries have brought in varying degrees of restrictions on Huawei.

Theresa May is reported to have pressed through the inclusion of Huawei in the UK telecoms infrastructure at a meeting of the National Security Council two months ago. Gavin Williamson, the defence secretary, was subsequently sacked for allegedly leaking the decision to the media.

However no formal announcement has been made on the decision.

Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Show all 20 1 /20 Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An employee enters a train in the Huawei's Ox Horn campus at Songshan Lake in Dongguan Reuters Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China A worker cleans a waterway as office buildings are seen at Huawei's new Ox Horn Research and Development campus in Dongguan, near shenzen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An area of Huawei's Ox Horn campus modelled after Cesky Krumlov in Czech Republic Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China The real Cesky Krumlov in Czech Republic Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Employees sleep in their cubicle in the research and development area after lunch at the Bantian campus in Shenzhen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An area of Huawei's Ox Horn campus modelled after Heidelberg in Germany Getty Images Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Employees play basketball on a court within the staff housing complex at the end of the workday at the Bantian campus in Shenzhen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China A replica of the Karl Theodor Bridge in Huawei's Ox Horn campus Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China The real Karl Theodor Bridge in Heidelberg, Germany Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Huawei's Ox Horn campus at Songshan Lake in Dongguan Reuters Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Employees ride the bus home at the end of the workday from the company's Bantian campus in Shenzhen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Huawei workers eat their subsidised lunch in one of many large cafeterias at the company's Bantian campus in Shenzhen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Reception staff walk in front of a large screen showcasing different technologies in the foyer of a building used for high profile customer visits at the campus in Shenzen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An employee reads in the staff library on a break at the company's Bantian campus in Shenzhen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An area of Huawei's new Ox Horn campus modelled after a European City Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Servers are seen inside Huawei's factory campus in Dongguan Reuters Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China The conductor waits for a train in the Huawei's Ox Horn campus at Songshan Lake in Dongguan Reuters Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China A general view shows the research and development centre at Huawei's Ox Horn campus AFP/Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Employees works on a mobile phone production line at Huawei's factory campus in Dongguan Reuters Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An office building on the Huawei campus in Dongguan AFP/Getty

Committee chairman Dominic Grieve said: “The debate over whether or not Huawei should be allowed to supply equipment to the UK 5G network has dragged on long enough and is damaging the UK’s international relationships. The new prime minister must take a decision as a matter of priority.”

The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) stated: “The UK is keen for a strong economic relationship with China. But this is not a ‘pro’ or ‘anti’ China debate. China will continue to be a key partner for the UK: one we respect greatly”.

But, it continued: “The UK must not do anything that jeopardises the Five Eyes intelligence sharing relationship – the value of the partnership cannot be overstated.

“Looking to the future, we must take action to reduce our over-reliance on a Chinese technology. We need to consider how we can create greater diversity in the market. This will require us to take a long-term view – but we need to start now.

“In terms of the immediate issue, restricting those companies who may be involved in our 5G network will have consequences, both in terms of time and cost. And the government must weigh these, together with the security advice that any risk posed could be managed in a secure system, against the geostrategic issues outlined.