August 7, 2025

UK Domestic Security Decisions re China a Total Mess


The video here and above, of July 3, 2025, is from an excellent new Youtube Channel MGG Geopolitics .
 
The words and links below are provided by MGG Geopolitics:

"The UK’s China Strategy Is a Total Mess. And in this video, [MGG Geopolitics is] making the case that it’s putting the country at risk.
This video exposes the deep contradictions in Britain’s China policy under Keir Starmer and the Labour government (although, as [MGG Geopolitics discusses] in the video, the problem also goes back to previous Conservative administrations). While UK officials accuse Beijing of espionage and political interference, they look set to greenlight a massive new Chinese embassy in London, right above critical communications infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Britain continues to court Chinese trade and investment with minimal security screening, even as MI5 and MI6 warn of a surge in Chinese intelligence activity. Is the UK sacrificing national security for economic convenience? [MGG Geopolitics also takes] a look at the UK’s latest national security strategy and the government’s controversial decision to leave China off its top-tier list of foreign influence threats (in addition to how Chinese espionage is expanding within the UK.)
00:25 The UK 00:26 An Incoherent Strategy 01:58 Growing Criticism 02:19 An Old Problem 02:43 The UK & The Global Order 03:09 Chinese Espionage in the UK 03:38 A Proposed Mega-Embassy 05:34 Trade or Security?
Here are some links for further reading in case it's of interest: The UK's National Security Strategy: https://www.gov.uk/government/publica... ISC report on China from 2023: https://isc.independent.gov.uk/wp-con... CSIS's excellent briefing on China's proposed mega-embassy: https://www.csis.org/analysis/chinas-..."
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2 comments:

Scott said...

Thanks Pete. IMO this bells the cat on the alleged second arm of AUKUS - UK involvement. For economic reasons, it is very hard to imaging post Brexit UK would ever seek conflict with China. UK simply cannot afford to lose the value of its China trade. Therefore itis hard to imagine UK will ever send forces to the Indo Pacific to defend vs Chinese aggression. the "Pacific tilt" was a sales pitch, not a defense alliance.

It follows from that that the value of UK in AUKUS is if Australia is confident that UK is the best value and most reliable likely supplier of SSNs to the RAN. I think we have already discussed the state of UK shipbuilding, which undermines that case.

After that, UK involvement in AUKUS looks like a nostalgic nod to the past, rather than a realistic decision based on current needs.

8/11/2025 5:17 PM
Pete2 said...

Thanks Scott at 8/11/2025 5:17 PM

For your concurrence about what I've been writing about the (now NATO First) UK's lack of usefulness in protecting Australia's security in the Indo-Pacific. The same now goes for (NATO first) France.

I also add that the low availability of UK SSNs, even to protect UK interests, means UK SSNs are rarely available in the Indo-Pacific. This is even to protect UK carrier groups. See https://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2025/07/astute-submarine-shortage-no-astute.html

Cheers Pete

8/11/2025 8:56 PM

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