The United Kingdom joins a long list of countries that have ignored US orders to avoid using Huawei technology in building its 5G mobile phone network. Last week, British prime minister Boris Johnson announced that, after weighing the costs and benefits, Britain had decided to proceed with using Huawei equipment to supply a portion of its non-core network needs.

The United States is not pleased. Johnson’s embrace of Huawei is seen as a direct assault on the sanctity of the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing arrangement between the United States, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Huawei, despite its insistence that it operates independently of the Chinese government, is seen as a front for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) by many US officials. China hawks say allowing Huawei to supply 5G infrastructure could provide China a back door to sensitive data.

Over the past year, the Trump administration has implemented a number of measures that have effectively shut Huawei (along with other Chinese companies) out of the US market. Government agencies such as the Pentagon and NASA are forbidden from purchasing Huawei equipment, and the company has been placed on the Commerce Department’s “entity list,” essentially barring US firms from supplying it, or its affiliates, with products. Huawei’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou (daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei), was also arrested in Canada on accusations of bank fraud. She remains under house arrest in Vancouver, British Columbia.