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China strongly condemns an article published in the UK newspaper Telegraph by a US politician that slanders Huawei and China's 5G development, and hopes the UK side will maintain an open, fair, transparent and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese businesses, including Huawei, said a spokesperson of Embassy of China in the UK on Wednesday. 

The comment comes after the Telegraph recently published an article entitled The free world must unite against Huawei, by the US Under Secretary of State Keith Krach. The article claims China is "coercing" UK in its battle to dominate 5G and called European partners to "maintain solidarity."

The embassy spokesperson said the article aims at "sowing dissensions between China and the UK."

"Distortion, defamation or politically suppression of companies who are front-runners in 5G technology are despicable actions and, instead of gaining advantage or winning respect, will end up shooting oneself in the foot," the spokesperson said. 

He stressed that the world knows which country is monitoring leaders of other countries and grossly interfering in their normal economic and trade relations. 

Regarding the article's accusation that Huawei represents a so-called security threat, the spokesperson noted that no country has come up with evidence to show the Chinese tech firm's products— which now provides network services to more than 3 billion people in over 170 countries and regions - pose any security threat. 

 "Huawei is the first company that has publicly pledged its readiness to sign a 'no-back door' agreement and the only company that has accepted tests and supervision by a third party. No company from the US has to date done so," the spokesperson noted.

He also pointed out that China-UK cooperation is mutually beneficial and win-win, and there is no coercion has occurred, as the article claimed. "Only those who are used to coercing others will see things in robber logic and with a hegemony mentality, or believe in zero-sum game and me-first policy," the spokesperson said.