July 15, 2020

China on Wednesday harshly criticized the UK's decision to ban Huawei from the UK's 5G development, painting London as an accomplice in the US' politically driven crackdown on the Chinese telecom giant based on fabricated "national security risks," and vowed to take "all necessary" measures to protect the legitimate interests and rights of Chinese businesses.

While Chinese officials did not announce specific countermeasures, the deep indignation China displayed toward the UK's move foreshadows a rather tumultuous period in China-UK ties with profound geopolitical, diplomatic and economic implications, Chinese analysts said. With the ban, the UK essentially took its gloves off and set off a potential showdown with China over not just technology but also Hong Kong, putting its businesses in China and broader trade and investment cooperation with its second-largest non-EU trade partner at risk, analysts added.

The fierce pushback from officials in Beijing on Wednesday were also accompanied by defiance at Huawei, which hinted that it was preparing for a "war" in a social media post from its prolific founder Ren Zhengfei following the UK ban. Still, the firm might have to face heavy losses in the UK and be forced to change its overseas strategy, including layoffs and closures, as more Western countries might follow in the UK's steps, insiders noted.

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