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* 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 Media Secretary, Huawei comments)
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. It
was excluded from the data-heavy core and its involvement was
capped at 35%.
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 in May when it restricted
Huawei's ability to source the microchip technology it needs to
produce its telecoms equipment and smartphones.
Britain's National Cyber Security Centre has studied the
impact on Huawei's resilience as a supplier, and its findings
will underpin a decision on whether Huawei has a long-term
future in Britain's networks.
"Given that those sanctions are targeted at 5G and
extensive, it is likely to have an impact on the viability of
Huawei as a provider for the 5G network," Media Secretary Oliver
Dowden said on Tuesday
Huawei said it was investing billions of pounds in Britain
to make Johnson's vision of a "connected Kingdom" a reality.
"We have been in the UK for 20 years and remain focused on
working with our customers and the government to ensure the
country gets the jobs and economic growth created by 5G as
quickly as possible," said vice-president Victor Zhang.
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 it was a grave move.
"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."
(Additional reporting by Jack Stubbs and Kate Holton; editing
by Guy Faulconbridge and Giles Elgood)
