* UK's Johnson: We'll protect against hostile state vendors
* UK considering what to do with Huawei
* UK says very concerned by Hong Kong security law
* To decide its response to China over Hong Kong shortly
(Adds background)
By Paul Sandle
LONDON, June 30 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris
Johnson toughened his rhetoric on China's Huawei on Tuesday,
cautioning Beijing that he would protect critical infrastructure
from "hostile state vendors" as he expressed deep concern over a
new security law for Hong Kong.
Johnson, who in January allowed Huawei a limited role in
Britain's 5G network, has faced intense pressure from the United
States and some British lawmakers to ban the telecommunications
equipment maker on security grounds.
But the COVID-19 crisis and a row with China over a
crackdown in the former British colony of Hong Kong has damaged
relations between Beijing and London just as Johnson prepares to
revisit his decision on Huawei Technologies.
Asked if the security law would influence Britain's decision
on whether or not to restrict Huawei, Johnson said: "I'm not
going to get drawn into Sinophobia because I'm not a Sinophobe."
"On Huawei, the position is very, very simple," he told
reporters. "I do want to see our critical national
infrastructure properly protected from hostile state vendors, so
we need to strike that balance and that's what we'll do."
Huawei, considered a "high risk vendor" by Britain, was
granted a limited role in building the country's 5G networks in
January, after the government said it could manage the risks.
The decision dismayed the United States, which has said
Beijing could use Huawei's telecoms equipment to spy. Huawei has
repeatedly denied the claims and says Washington is gripped by
anti-Chinese hysteria.
TRUMP VS HUAWEI
The U.S. intensified its battle against the company in May
when it further restricted Huawei's ability to source the
advanced microchip technology it needs to produce its telecoms
equipment and smartphones.
Britain's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has studied
the impact of the new restrictions on Huawei's resilience as a
supplier, and its findings will underpin the government's
decision on whether Huawei has a long-term future in Britain's
networks.
Its involvement in 5G was capped at 35% and it was excluded
it from the data-heavy core of the network in January.
But China's parliament passed national security legislation
for Hong Kong on Tuesday.
Britain, which had promised to consider an international
response if China imposed the law, said the move was grave and
that its decision on what to do would come later.
"We are obviously deeply concerned about the decision to
pass the National Security Law in Beijing as it affects Hong
Kong," Johnson said.
"We will be looking at the law very carefully, we want to
scrutinise it properly, to understand whether it's in conflict
with the joint declaration between the UK and China."
(Reporting by Kate Holton and Paul Sandle; editing by Guy
Faulconbridge and Giles Elgood)