China cries discrimination as Abbott urges UK to think again on Huawei

Former prime minister Tony Abbott has slammed Great Britain’s decision to allow Huwaei into its 5G network.

Chinese Ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye. Picture: AAP

Former prime minister Tony Abbott has slammed Great Britain’s decision to allow Huwaei into its 5G network, after China’s Ambassador to Canberra labelled the decision to keep the Chinese tech giant out of Australia “discrimination”.

Liberal and Labor MPs have warned Ambassador Cheng Jingye that his push to have the Huawei ban reconsidered will be resisted, just days after they got into a diplomatic row with Great Britain over its moves to accept the Chinese company.

Mr Abbott said on Monday that Britain’s moves were a serious error and he hoped British Prime Minister Boris Johnson would limit the tech giant’s size in the UK 5G market to “zero.”

“The sooner it diminishes to zero, the better to Britain and the better for everyone else,” he said.

“It is a serious error … I hope at this late stage the British government might reconsider.

“Whatever happens, they hopefully minimise – to zero or close enough to it – Huawei’s involvement.”

Mr Cheng leapt on Britain’s pro-Huawei moves on Monday and said the Australian ban had become a “sour point” between this country and China.

“The decision made by the Australian government, as I see it, is basically politically motivated. It is discrimination against the Chinese company,” he told Sky News. 

“It doesn’t serve the best interests of Australian companies and consumers. It has become a sour point in relations as it damages mutual trust between the two sides. 

“Despite the external pressure, I think the UK has come up with a decision which would not exclude Huawei … I hope the (Australian) decision will be revisited in the best interests of both sides.”

PJCIS chairman Andrew Hastie told The Australian there was no appetite on either side of parliament to allow Huawei in.

“There is a stonewall of backbench solidarity behind the government on this decision—which is informed by the best advice from our intelligence agencies,” he said.

“It’s a bipartisan position and we’re not for turning.”

Labor senator Kimberley Kitching - who joined with Mr Hastie earlier this year urging the UK government to reverse the Huawei approval - said Britain’s decision had allowed the tech giant and China to pit allies against each other.

“Britain’s decision to approve Huawei as a vendor for certain parts of its 5G network unfortunately allows the PR arm of that company, as well as other actors, to try to use that decision to pit ally against ally in an ongoing disinformation campaign,” she said.

“Our national security agencies provide nonpartisan, evidence-based advice to the government of the day. This advice is not clouded by any ideological or commercial factors.”