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The telecommunication company’s Cambridge plant has now been given planning permission by South Cambridgeshire district council. Huawei has revealed it will now double its initial £400million investment in the facility which will now proceed to the first phase of construction at a 500-acre site. Although the company has stated the facility will provide highly skilled jobs, Tory MP for the Isle of Wight, Bob Seely has admitted his concern for the growing influence of China in the UK amid claims Huawei is supported by Beijing. 

He said: “We’re going to pay a high price.

“I welcome jobs and research, but am concerned they want access to 5G.

“I worry there’s a quid pro quo here.”

The US State Department has echoed those fears and urged the UK to reassess the access of certain companies to British infrastructure.

A State Department spokeswoman said last night: “We have seen reports that the UK plans to allow Huawei to build a research and development facility in England.

“We urge all countries, particularly allies and partners like the United Kingdom, to carefully assess the long-term impact of allowing untrusted companies like Huawei access to sensitive information.”

Tensions have risen between the UK and China following the decision to allow Huawei a limited role in the 5G network.

In January, the Government allowed Huawei access to the network but limited its market share to 35 percent and kept the company out of some of the more sensitive segments.

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However, following pressure from backbench Tory MPs, Boris Johnson has been forced rethink the decision.

Some Tories such as MP for Chingford and Woodford Green, Sir Iain Duncan Smith are calling for the Prime Minister to agree to a legally binding date whereby all Huawei kit is stripped from the network.

Last month the National Cyber Security Centre, a branch of the Government Communications Headquarters, launched an investigation into the resilience of its own equipment.

This came as the US placed sanctions on Huawei over its use of American chip technology.

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Keith Krach, US under secretary of state for economic growth accused the company of being an extension of the Chinese government.

He said: “Maybe it’s just a research centre in a local community, maybe to begin with it is only broadband chips.

“They donate money, hire graduates, and burnish their PR credentials.

“Then comes bullying, coercion, and expansion of the surveillance state.

“They want to win over the local community.

“They are after the people and technology.”

Despite the scepticism towards the company, Huawei has stated it is a private company and is not a security threat.

If the company has its role in the network reduced, Swedish telecoms company, Sony Ericsson has claimed it would be capable of replacing the kit.

The company’s president for Europe, Arun Bansal said: “We are not betting our financial plan on the UK government making certain decisions which benefit Ericsson.

“My hope, not my prediction, but my hope is that with the government’s ambition, we can – as a partner in the ecosystem – make the UK the leading country in 5G.”

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