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Huawei declared no threat to UK security after being banned in US

Huawei has been given the green light to continue operating in the UK, even though the US government announced that it would cut all ties with the Chinese telecoms firm.

Derek Smith, a cyber security spokesperson for the Cabinet Office, explained that the UK government has no concerns about Huawei and ZTE.

"Comparisons with the US don't hold up with what we're doing here. We have a very strict evaluation process for products from any country, not just China, coming into the UK", he said.

He went on to explain that in the case of Huawei, there is an additional level of security which all of its devices pass through before being allowed into the British market, and this process has been running for a number of years now.

Concerns were raised about Huawei's activities in Britain after the US House of Representatives' Intelligence Committee published claims deeming it and another leading Chinese telecoms firm, ZTE, a national security threat.

The US report warned that manufacturers Huawei and ZTE could use their products to spy on US infrastructure and communications for the Chinese regime, and urged US network providers and private companies to halt all dealings with Huawei and ZTE, essentially shutting them out of the US market.

A spokesman for China's Ministry of Commerce said that the US findings amounted to "groundless accusations based on subjective suspicions" and urged the US to continue business with Chinese firms.

Both Huawei and ZTE have denied the accusations, calling them "trade protectionism masquerading as national security".

Huawei began operating in the UK in 2001 and has invested over £150 million and created 650 jobs. It has worked with every major company in the UK's telecom industry, most notably BT.

Last month, in a meeting with the British Prime Minister David Cameron, Huawei announced plans to invest £1.25 billion in UK creating a further 750 jobs. The Prime Minister welcomed the move saying it would help to achieve sustainable growth in the country.

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