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Huawei gets planning approval for US$1.2 billion UK R&D site
- The research and development site, which Huawei acquired in 2018, will become its international headquarters for optoelectronics
- Huawei’s future in Britain is in question after the US ratcheted up pressure on its allies to break ties with the Chinese telecoms gear supplier
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Huawei Technologies has received approval to break ground on a 1 billion pound (US$1.2 billion) research and development site near Cambridge in the east of England, even as the company’s future in the country hangs in the balance.
The Chinese telecommunications equipment maker received planning permission on Thursday from South Cambridgeshire District Council to build the first phase of a major development that has come under criticism from British and US lawmakers. The site was acquired in 2018 and will support 400 jobs across 50,000 square metres of facilities, according to a statement from Huawei.
It will become Huawei’s international headquarters for optoelectronics, a branch of fibre-optic broadband technology, said company vice-president Victor Zhang on a media call.
Huawei’s future in Britain is in question after the US ratcheted up pressure on its allies to break ties with the Shenzhen-based telecoms gear supplier and imposed sanctions that may threaten its silicon supply.
Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre is expected to issue a reviewed decision on Huawei’s role in the country’s telecoms networks.
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