Huawei may find an ally in Britain

Britain, it seems, isn’t too worried about using technology from the Chinese giant, despite warnings from the U.S. that Huawei is beholden to Beijing and a proxy for espionage.

The head of Britain’s National Cyber Security Center, Ciaran Martin, said at a conference in Brussels that any risks posed by using Huawei’s technology could be mitigated, citing the strict British security reviews the company has been subjected to for more than 15 years.

Why it matters: By the end of the year, Britain will decide whether or not to use Huawei’s technology in building out its 5G network.

Countries across Europe that are also considering Huawei for their 5G networks are watching closely, looking for clues on whether the White House’s claims have been exaggerated.

The U.S. position: American officials have argued that 5G networks are much more complex than existing systems, and that the many lines of constantly updating code make the systems nearly impossible to protect entirely.

The White House, while pressuring allies to block Huawei, hasn’t provided evidence to back up its accusations of espionage, and the company has always denied the claims.