A public feud has been brewing between the U.S. and the UK, which today has resulted in the UK sacking it’s defence minister. The U.S. had instructed the UK not to work with Chinese company Huawei in building it’s 5G network.
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On Wednesday, Prime Minister Theresa May announced that she had sacked her defence minister Gavin Williamson for leaking confidential security information regarding Britain’s deal for 5G with China. The leak had resulted in a public spat, and threats from the U.S. government.
Downing street spokesperson said; “"The Prime Minister's decision has been informed by his conduct surrounding an investigation into the circumstances of the unauthorized disclosure of information from a meeting of the National Security Council.”
Thanks to the leak, facts emerged over Britain’s deal to work with the Chinese firm Huawei in constructing 5G infrastructure in the UK. Though the deal only involved Huawei helping with non-core parts of the infrastructure, the U.S. government was angered at the UK over this. Even threatening the UK government that they would withhold security intelligence from them if they went ahead with the deal. An unusual level of aggression towards an otherwise close ally.
The U.S. government has long believed Huawei to be a 'security' risk for its links to China, even leading witch hunts against its CEO that lead to her being detained.
So far the UK has refused to renege on their deal with Huawei, but Theresa May is clearly angered that the information was leaked about the deal in the first place.
Gavin Williamson has long taken an aggressive stance against China and Russia, which has angered some in the UK government. His comments about the South China Sea in February this year, offended the Chinese state and led to them canceling a planned visit from the UK’s economy minister, just at a time where the UK was trying to build as many trade links as possible with Brexit looming. It’s said that some in the cabinet were saying that it was “time to rein in Williamson”
Commenting on the drama, Hu Xijin, editor of the Chinese owned Global times said, “If under the US's pressure, the UK withdraws its previous decision of allowing Huawei to help build noncore 5G infrastructure, that would be interesting. Does it mean the UK is even less independent than its former colony India?”