Huawei announces plans for 3 UK stores, just days after the government said it would ban the company from Britain's 5G network

Huawei has unveiled plans to open three stores in the UK.
The announcement comes days after the British government said it would remove the Chinese telecoms giant from its 5G network by 2027.
Huawei will invest $12.5 million in the stores, and create more than 100 jobs, it said.
The UK banned Huawei from its 5G network after the US government said it would stop companies selling semiconductors to the Chinese firm.
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Chinese tech giant Huawei is set to open three stores in the UK despite the government banning its tech from the country's 5G network.

The telecoms company said it will open its first self-owned British outlet in London's Olympic Park, Stratford, in October 2020, followed by a customer service store in Manchester in February 2021. Another retail outlet will open in early 2021, it said, without specifying a location.

On July 14, the UK government said telecoms companies would not be able to buy Huawei 5G kit from the start of next year, and told firms they must remove all Huawei 5G tech by 2027. This followed the US government saying it would stop companies selling semiconductors to Huawei.

Huawei said in a press release that its new stores, which constitute a $12.5 million (£10 million) investment, will create more than 100 jobs in the cities of London and Manchester.

Last month, it opened a service centre in Wembley, which does not sell products.

"We know that millions of people here in the UK love our products and we're delighted we will now have these new high street spaces where we can interact with our owners in a more personal way," Anson Zhang, managing director of Huawei's UK consumer business group, said in a statement.

Apart from selling smartphones, laptops, tablets, and other products, the stores will give customers product training, assistance, and personalised consultations.

Huawei has said it is disappointed by the UK ban, and has expressed concern that decisions over its future in the country have become politicised.

The ban on Huawei is "rejecting the opportunity and rejecting the future," Liu Xiaoming, Chinese ambassador to the UK, said in a tweet.

#Huawei is a leader in 5G, covers 40% of China's total market&has 40% market share around world. UK made decision based on unwarranted & fabricated accusations about security risk. As I said, rejecting Huawei is rejecting the opportunity and rejecting the future. https://t.co/TOw5FAEN7u
— Liu Xiaoming (@AmbLiuXiaoMing) July 19, 2020