The writer is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center
The British government’s decision to launch a review of Huawei’s activity in the UK is an indication that the US campaign to pressure its allies to shun China’s biggest telecoms company is bearing fruit. Moreover, Downing Street is planning to forge an alliance of democracies with the mission of providing developing countries with alternatives to Huawei’s market-leading 5G capability.
Rather oddly, though, this western effort overlooks a key telecoms battleground: Russia. If Huawei succeeds in establishing control over Russia’s 5G buildout, that will strengthen the Chinese company’s position in the battle for other emerging markets.