Ex MI6 boss Sir Alex Younger shares his thoughts with the Rest is Politics duo - hard to argue against his final bleak analysis ('China the pacing threat' 43mins in)
Ex MI6 boss Sir Alex Younger shares his thoughts with the Rest is Politics duo - hard to argue against his final bleak analysis ('China the pacing threat' 43mins in)
I got the impression the Chinese have given him more sleepless nights than the Russians and their weaponised tech power is the emerging and more serious threat to the west.Actually listened to snippets of this earlier and I’m not sure he said that.
He absolutely said that Russia was in a state of war with the rest of Europe but with China it’s more nuanced than that.
Russia has to be the main threat to Europe because of its geographic proximity.
China saw itself as the greatest civilization in the world. They were "the Middle Kingdom", the "Celestial Empire", foreigners were "barbarians" to be disdained or ignored or at least kept at a distance. Then came the West's period of dominance in which China was humiliated with the Opium War and the "unequal treaties" that were imposed on the country in the 19th century. "Dogs & Chinese not permitted" read a sign in a westerners-only park in Shanghai. China has never forgotten or forgiven that hundred years of humiliation. Napoleon, who knew a thing or two, said "China is a sleeping giant; when it wakes it will astonish the world." It's up now alright and stomping around a bit.
I took it as , as long as we (Europe) get our act together on defence spending and planning Putin doesn't have the economic power to carry the threat to us.Actually listened to snippets of this earlier and I’m not sure he said that.
He absolutely said that Russia was in a state of war with the rest of Europe but with China it’s more nuanced than that.
Russia has to be the main threat to Europe because of its geographic proximity.
Most of us in the UK are wearing clothes made in China and buying their consumer goods on an ever increasing scale. Amazon is now their saturated shopfront and every battery in your household is made there too.I took it as , as long as we (Europe) get our act together on defence spending and planning Putin doesn't have the economic power to carry the threat to us.
China on the other hand do. Their projection of soft power and the financial coercion of large parts of the world is a lot more efficient than spending blood and treasure building an empire - especially as they are largely funded by their enemies (our) lust for cheap goods.
I took it as , as long as we (Europe) get our act together on defence spending and planning Putin doesn't have the economic power to carry the threat to us.
China on the other hand do. Their projection of soft power and the financial coercion of large parts of the world is a lot more efficient than spending blood and treasure building an empire - especially as they are largely funded by their enemies (our) lust for cheap goods.
This is such an interesting aspect of this whole (trade) war.
I can’t think of an equivalent example whereby one side in a war is supported almost entirely by the other side’s inability to exist without them.
It’s a remarkable position of strength.
As much as Trump’s tariffs are utterly crazy, they are crazy because it’s inconceivable that western society would be able to severe itself from cheap goods/labour in the east.
From a purely geo-political/economic/societal point of view, the next 20 years are going to be absolutely fascinating.
Someone should remind him that china built a wall to keep people out.Was interesting. Lots of things that nobody would disagree with.
I just wasn't sure in what respect he thought China was a bigger threat to Europe than Russia, or even increasingly the US (including social media in there). Unless I missed it he didn't really go into that, other than a little dig that they are communists?
I presume he meant soft power. Investing in new technologies, new markets and regions at the expense of any European soft power? Possibly BRICS++. Hacking and agent development is something everyone does, of course. He couldn't presumably mean a bigger physical threat?
Interesting to hear the thoughts of someone experienced at the top of their game. Which is more than can be said about the two interviewers :)
russia has been funded by the Wests need for cheap oil and gas for years.
I think it was easier to 'sell' the idea of Russia v Ukraine as evil v good to the public. We all realise the inflation we have is largely due to energy costs associated with weaning ourselves off Russian gas etc. Largely we've bought into this in the same way as we gave up our cast iron fence railings 'to make spitfires' in ww2. Not sure it will be so easy to wean us off temu and eBay unless the Chinese directly come at us.russia has been funded by the Wests need for cheap oil and gas for years.
I think it was easier to 'sell' the idea of Russia v Ukraine as evil v good to the public. We all realise the inflation we have is largely due to energy costs associated with weaning ourselves off Russian gas etc. Largely we've bought into this in the same way as we gave up our cast iron fence railings 'to make spitfires' in ww2. Not sure it will be so easy to wean us off temu and eBay unless the Chinese directly come at us.