A day after suggesting that he would take tougher action against Huawei, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday was spotted taking a selfie with a mobile phone manufactured by the Chinese tech company.
According to Washington Post, Johnson used the phone which appeared to be P20 Pro model, to take a photograph of himself following an interview on Thursday on ITV's "This Morning" program hosted by Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.
At a news conference on Wednesday with US President Donald Trump, Johnson said he did not want Britain to be "unnecessarily hostile to investment from overseas," but he said the "country cannot prejudice our vital national security."
The Prime Minister's Office has declined to comment on the questions about the photo.
A photograph seemingly taken with the phone was shared on the prime minister's personal Instagram account.
Huawei is one of China's largest tech compes, but it has come under scrutiny for its close links to Beijing. The US has expressed concern over the Chinese government's proximity to the company. US officials have suggested that China could use the company as a back door to gain access to sensitive information.
Britain has reportedly delayed its decision on whether to allow Huawei to provide technology for its 5G network until after the election. Britain and Canada are the only members of the "Five Eyes" intelligence-sharing nations that have not yet banned Huawei's technology. The United States, Australia and New Zealand have already banned Huawei's technology.
( With inputs from ANI )