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Sam
Work on geotectonics + AI. Ian Dunross disciple. Care deeply about Britain’s place in the world.
Sep 29, 2024 12 tweets 5 min read
The Government's team of foreign policy, military and analyst experts have published a look at the key Global Strategic Trends from now until 2055.

It's nearly 500 pages.

Here are the key ideas and concepts they discuss.

🧵 Image The team at MoD's Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre (DCDC) [its in-house think tank] outlines six major drivers of change, which couple with 22 underlying trends. Image
Jun 27, 2024 8 tweets 3 min read
Britain's next likely Foreign Secretary has a long profile in The New Statesman.

Here's what we learn about David Lammy's foreign policy views - described as a doctrine by the author (I would, politely, disagree)

🧵

newstatesman.com/politics/2024/…
Image This is another effort by Lammy and his aides to explain 'Progressive Realism', the foreign policy philosophy underpinning his worldview.

The journalist who wrote this generous piece was embedded for some months. Image
Jun 25, 2023 7 tweets 3 min read
Last year, then-Home Secretary Priti Patel personally wrote to two 🇨🇳 nationals - C17 & c18 - barring them from the 🇬🇧

Her accusation? The pair provided “financial donations to UK political figures on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).”

https://t.co/NaNRErgZwzbeijingtobritain.substack.com/p/chinese-citi…
Building off the fantastic Guardian scoop this week - - here are some of the key details you can learn from the court documents.theguardian.com/politics/2023/…
Jun 6, 2023 6 tweets 3 min read
NEW: 🇬🇧 Government will take no further action over the unofficial 🇨🇳‘police service stations’.

Security Minister @TomTugendhat said police visited each location and did not identify “any evidence of illegal activity on behalf of the Chinese state.” ImageImageImageImage questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statem… Image
Jan 6, 2023 5 tweets 2 min read
Huge from @Richard_AHolmes. A sweep of
🇬🇧 Government vehicles found a "hidden Chinese tracking device."

The geolocating device had been placed into a vehicle inside a sealed part imported from a supplier in China and installed by the vehicle manufacturer.inews.co.uk/news/hidden-ch… “It’s more about quantity rather than anything specific,” a former GCHQ analyst told i. “The aim is to put trackers in as many cars as possible and then pinpoint in on sights of interest.”

Expect this story to blow up on the Westminster circuit!

inews.co.uk/news/hidden-ch…
Jan 6, 2023 6 tweets 3 min read
78% of Chinese firms polled by the China Chamber of Commerce in the UK said a ‘complex geopolitical landscape’ is the greatest threat to their operations.

⬆️ from 75% in 2021 and 53% in 2020.

More details from the new CCCUK report: chinachamber.org.uk/wp-content/upl… Chairman Wenjian Fang: "We can understand the increasing focus on national security, however, there are ways that China and the UK can continue to work together which are mutually beneficial and does not impede on each other’s national security and independence."
Dec 18, 2022 10 tweets 5 min read
Overnight, Parliament's influential Foreign Affairs Committee (@CommonsForeign) published "Refreshing our approach? Updating the Integrated Review".

For those in the UK-China space, we're going to see headlines along the lines of "MPs call for China to be called a threat." Here's a handful so far.

In my personal view, I think this is a poor recommendation from the Committee, because it is (as they spell out in the report) more complex than this.
Oct 24, 2022 4 tweets 2 min read
Here's some cool tech/foreign policy news.

The UK's Foreign Office has just announced the creation of its new Technology Centre of Expertise, to "counter the rise of digital authoritarianism."

Came in reply to @CommonsForeign & FAC Chair @aliciakearns.

committees.parliament.uk/publications/3… Also:

FCDO officials will now be able to undertake placements in private tech companies.