The decision to allow the Chinese company to build part of the UK's 5G network is risky for Boris Johnson,both domestically and internationally.
Australian security agencies are assessing Britain's decision to allow Huawei into its 5G network,amid uncertainty over what it means for the"Five Eyes"arrangement.
Britain's decision to let the Chinese telecom giant build parts of its 5G infrastructure makes it clear Australia should use a"more fact-based approach",Huawei says.
The Prime Minister has set up a showdown with Washington and his own MPs in defying US warnings and allowing Huawei to build part of the UK's 5G network.
The decision is nearly 12 months overdue because the last time the Conservative government debated the issue,the National Security Council split on it.
The four Australians launched an unprecedented combined intervention into Britain's Huawei debate,urging Prime Minister Boris Johnson to follow Australia's ban.
As Berlin weighs whether to let Huawei take part in its 5G network,China's close partnership with the big German carmakers may have put Beijing in the driver's seat.
The UK is poised to make its decision and appears to be paving the way for Huawei involvement,despite intense lobbying from the US.
Nick Timothy's intervention is significant given his past positions at the highest levels of the UK government,serving as a special advisor to Theresa May.
The former prime minister warned Boris Johnson that allowing Huawei to build Britain's 5G network would compromise the ability of the Five Eyes countries to collect and share intelligence.
US trade tariffs on China and the ban on controversial telco Huawei have sparked a wave of investment in research and development from Chinese businesses.