UK bans Huawei from 5G network

The UK has decided that Huawei equipment should be removed from Britain's 5G network by 2027 and the telecom providers in the country should stop purchasing 5G equipment from Huawei from the start of next year, said Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden in the House of Commons on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Chinese Foreign Ministry's Spokesperson Zhao Lijian responded to relevant issues about Huawei at a regular press conference.

Zhao said "whether the UK can provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies in the country is the 'litmus test' of where the UK market will go after Brexit."

Meanwhile, it's an "indicator" for China to see if it's safe to invest in the UK, Zhao noted, adding that the Chinese side will pay close attention to it.

In January, the British government declared its plans to safeguard the country's telecoms network, which is widely seen as approving a restricted role for the Chinese tech giant in helping build the country's 5G network.

(CGTN)