Published 20:09 IST, February 7th 2020
Donald Trump 'apoplectic' in heated call with Johnson over Huawei decision: Report
US President Donald Trump lambasted British Prime Minister Boris Johnson with ‘apoplectic’ rage during a heated telephonic conversation over Huawei issue.
US President Donald Trump lambasted British Prime Minister Boris Johnson with ‘apoplectic’ rage during a heated telephonic conversation over Huawei issue. The Financial Times, in its report, cited officials in London and Washington saying Trump was livid with Johnson for allowing Huawei into its 5G network.
Downing Street reportedly did not deny the claim and pointed towards a statement released on January 28 that said the Prime Minister spoke to Trump and updated him on the outcome of the UK’s telecoms supply chain review. “The Prime Minister underlined the importance of like-minded countries working together to diversify the market and break the dominance of a small number of companies,” the statement read.
The US and Britain have been at odds over several issues in the recent past including planned tax on tech companies and the extradition of American diplomat’s wife accused of killing a 19-year-old in a car accident. However, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently claimed that the ‘special relationship’ between the UK and the US is in a ‘fantastic place’. After the UK’s formal departure from the EU, Pompeo said that the United States will continue building strong ties with Britain.
"We will continue building upon our strong, productive, and prosperous relationship with the UK as they enter this next chapter," tweeted Pompeo.
Pressurising countries against Huawei
Trump administration has decided to restrict 5G operations of Huawei and has been pressurising other countries to do the same. In November, the United States had urged Canada not to use Huawei 5G technology citing security threats and said that it would jeopardise intelligence sharing between the two countries.
Robert C. O’Brien, the National Security Advisor to the US President Donald Trump, talking to the reporters at a security conference in Halifax, had called the company “Trojan Horse”. O’Brien said that letting the company in Canada or other western countries will help China profile everything including health record, banking record, and social media post. He further added that China will get to know everything about every single Canadian.
Updated 20:09 IST, February 7th 2020