"Perhaps the thing that needs more focus and more discussion is how do we get to a future where there's a wider range of competition... than defaulting to a yes or no about Chinese technology," added Parker, who is standing down in April.
Responding to the interview, Johnson's spokesman said: "When a decision has been made we will provide an update to parliament. "We have a close and longstanding security and intelligence sharing relationship with the US and that will continue." The spokesman confirmed that British and US "national security officials" were holding a meeting Monday in London following a report that the talks were a last-ditch bid by Washington to stop Huawei playing a role.
Fifth-generation (5G) mobile communications are the next milestone in the digital revolution, bringing near-instantaneous connectivity and vast data capacity. They will enable the widespread adoption of futuristic technologies such as artificial intelligence and automated cars and factories - advances Beijing is desperate to lead.