The U.K. government has agreed to allow Huawei Technologies Co. to build part of the country’s 5G telecom system—despite U.S. pressure on allies to exclude the Chinese telecom giant—but it will only be allowed to construct noncore parts of the network, according to an official familiar with the matter.
The decision is a victory for Huawei in its fight against a U.S. campaign to block the use of its 5G equipment in the networks of U.S. allies. The U.S. has long held that Huawei equipment is a security threat, which the telecommunications company forcefully denies.
The decision came at a meeting of Britain’s National Security Council on Tuesday attended by Prime Minister Theresa May and several British government ministers.
