2 h. ago China’s power play: MI5 warns of relentless espionage attempts in Britain

Alert says Beijing trying to recruit British sources in parliament, even if potential gains may be unclearAn unexpected connection on LinkedIn. An offer of work from a headhunter, most likely a young woman, based in China. The chance to earn perhaps £20,000 part-time writing a handful of geopolitical reports for a Chinese company peppered with “non-public” or “insider” insights. Payment in cryptocurrency or cash preferred.It may seem obvious, on this telling, that something about this approach would be amiss. Nevertheless, China’s powerful ministry of state security (MSS) still considers it worthwhile to deploy recruitment consultants to try it – leading MI5 to warn repeatedly about their activity online. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago US and China seek to project power with huge and expensive aircraft carriers

China launches £5.4bn ship capable of carrying 60 aircraft that Beijing values as much for maintaining its global influence as for its use in warfare In port, the 80,000-tonne Fujian aircraft carrier would be impossible to miss. More than 300 metres long and capable of carrying about 60 aircraft, the £5.4bn super-vessel places China second among the world’s navies, with three aircraft carriers, though still a long way behind the global leader, the US, which has 11.Yet for all the great power projection of the new warship, nearly 5,000 miles away from its home port another conflict appears to suggest size may not matter. In the Black Sea, Ukraine achieved an extraordinary military success by inflicting a “functional defeat” on Russia’s naval fleet using swarms of skilfully targeted sea drones. Continue reading...

Transport

2 w. ago Britain would do well to remember where its power over China lies | Simon Jenkins

It’s ridiculous for the government to splurge on defence while it slashes spending on its most valuable asset: cultureThe US has backed down in its tariff war with China. Thanks to Donald Trump’s egotistical diplomacy, rare earths can again flow one way, soya beans the other, and less of the chemicals used to make fentanyl in between. No matter that the war was Trump’s own idea and seems to have been a stunt. The stunt is over. Trump has played his favourite game of dealmaker, much to the discomfort of millions.Meanwhile Britain still cannot make up its mind if China is its enemy. In 2008 British officials visited the Beijing Olympics authorities to discuss the next games in London in 2012. The government told them to “raise” human rights issues, about which the British government was most concerned. I am told the Chinese reacted with sympathy at the Britons’ embarrassment at broaching the matter, and then everyone got down to business. Soon China was a friend, certainly to David Ca...

Politics

2 w. ago Donald Trump says rare earths dispute ‘settled’ after Xi Jinping meeting in South Korea – live updates

Summit on sidelines of Apec was the first between the leaders of US and China since 2019, and comes after tensions have been strained by Trump’s trade warIn the days leading up to the Trump-Xi meeting, American officials signalled that the US president did not intend to make good on a recent threat to impose an additional 100% import tax on Chinese goods.Also that China had shown signs it is willing to relax its export controls on rare earths as well as revive buying soybeans from the US.The relationship with China is very good.Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years.Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Donald Trump speaks after Xi Jinping meeting in South Korea – live updates

Summit on sidelines of Apec was the first between the leaders of US and China since 2019, and comes after tensions have been strained by Trump’s trade war In the days leading up to the Trump-Xi meeting, American officials signalled that the US president did not intend to make good on a recent threat to impose an additional 100% import tax on Chinese goods.Also that China had shown signs it is willing to relax its export controls on rare earths as well as revive buying soybeans from the US.The relationship with China is very good.Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years.Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Donald Trump and Xi Jinping hold meeting in South Korea amid hopes for trade deal – live updates

Summit on sidelines of Apec is the first between the leaders of US and China since 2019, and comes after tensions have been strained by Trump’s trade warIn the days leading up to the Trump-Xi meeting, American officials signalled that the US president did not intend to make good on a recent threat to impose an additional 100% import tax on Chinese goods.Also that China had shown signs it is willing to relax its export controls on rare earths as well as revive buying soybeans from the US.The relationship with China is very good.Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years.Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Met Office verdict as Britain set for horror quad of rain, frost, gales and fog

Britain is bracing for bad weather as the Met Office warns of weeks of relentless rain, biting winds and plunging temperatures, signalling the official end of summer and a gloomy, unsettled start to November

Events

3 w. ago Jeremy Clarkson warned charity boss and Tory peer Baroness Monckton not to open a pub giving her 'a list of things that could and would go wrong', she tells Parliament

Tory peer Baroness Rosa Monckton said when she asked for Jeremy Clarkson's advice on opening her own pub, he warned her it is 'relentless'.

Events