UK should revisit 5G ban now Trump is defeated, says Huawei

Exclusive: vice-president Victor Zhang says north-south divide in England would be exacerbated by missing out on 5G

The UK should revisit its decision to ban the Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei from its 5G network in the post-Trump era and recognise that it will worsen England's north-south divide, the vice-president of Huawei has told the Guardian.

Victor Zhang's intervention comes as Boris Johnson prepares on Monday to meet the Northern Research Group, the lobby group of Conservative MPs determined to turn the prime minister's levelling up agenda into a reality. Zhang urged the UK to stay true to its roots as the birthplace of the first Industrial Revolution, saying the government could not afford to fall behind in the 5G revolution.