Image source,PA Media
Richard Moore, Director of MI6 of MI6 in the United Kingdom, talked about the crises and challenges facing the world and how MI6 will deal with it at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London on November 30th.
Richard Moore, the director of the British MI6, gave an interview to the BBC for the first time since taking office last year and made a public speech. He listed “adapting to the world under the influence of China’s rise” as the “unique and biggest priority for the UK’s foreign intelligence agency” “.
On November 30, after being interviewed by BBC Radio 4’s morning current affairs program “Today”, Moore delivered a speech entitled “Human Wisdom in the Digital Age” at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, calling it military affairs. Six offices “have to go public in order to continue to act secretly.”
In his speech, Moore repeatedly mentioned that MI6 needs more talents. He said, “Even in the digital world, the final important decision is still made by people.”
MI6 (MI6) is the British foreign intelligence agency, more accurately named Secret Intelligence Service (Secret Intelligence Service), and MI5 (MI5) and British Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) are the three major intelligence agencies in the UK. mechanism.
In Moore’s interviews and speeches, the content involving China occupies a considerable amount of space. The BBC Chinese counts the China issues he talked about and other international threats that he considers worthy of attention.
“Threats and opportunities for cooperation coexist”
The head of MI6 accepts BBC interview
In his speech, Moore admitted that public speeches by the head of the British intelligence agency are still quite unusual. But he wants to change it for two reasons:
- In a democratic country, it is necessary to maintain public support for the work of intelligence agencies, and hope to stimulate people’s willingness to join intelligence agencies;
- The nature of the threats facing the UK is constantly changing, and modern intelligence agencies are required to have a greater degree of openness.
Moore said that during his 34 years of work for MI6, he has witnessed great changes in the strategic environment, but some factors have continuity. “For example, Russia, China, and Iran have long been the top four in the intelligence circle as I commonly call them. Three of the priorities, and the fourth one is the threat of international terrorism.”
“As China’s strength grows and its willingness to demonstrate its strength increases, the world sector is changing. The security and prosperity of the UK are to a large extent increasingly closely linked to China’s actions and policies.
Our country has many areas where we can cooperate with Beijing, including trade and investment, cultural ties, and the transnational challenges posed by climate change and biodiversity. But the fact is that China is an authoritarian country and its values are different from ours. “
It is precisely because of this that the “threat and cooperation opportunity coexist” brought by China.
“Debt trap, data trap”
MI6 (MI6) is the UK’s foreign intelligence agency, more accurately named Secret Intelligence Service (Secret Intelligence Service), and MI5 (MI5) and British Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) are the three major intelligence agencies in the UK. .
Moore mentioned the Chinese government’s tough stance on Taiwan and Hong Kong. “Beijing believes that its propaganda of Western weaknesses has underestimated Washington’s determination. The risk of China’s misjudgment due to overconfidence is real.”
He said: Adapting to the world under the influence of China’s rise is MI6’s unique and biggest priority.
At the same time, he hopes that other countries will clearly realize that “if bilateral relations cannot resort to independent justice and free media to resolve possible conflicts, there are risks of debt traps, data leakage, and inability to resist political coercion.”
In an interview with the BBC, Moore explained the threat to China that China is developing artificial intelligence AI, especially collecting data from all over the world, and also using its own economic policies to try to get others hooked. They set up debt traps, data traps, and then Used to exert influence.
“The so-called data trap is that if you allow a country to have access to key data of your society, it will slowly erode your sovereignty and you will no longer be able to control those data.”
But he also said that many countries can maintain positive relations with China like the United Kingdom. He said, “Trade with China is very important. Trade is an important factor in maintaining a relationship of trust, and trust is also an important factor in dealing with climate warming, biodiversity and other international relations. We need China’s cooperation.”
“But at the same time, we should not be too naive about how the Chinese government handles our data.”
“Made in China” surveillance technology
Moore warned that opponents have invested a lot of money and determination to master artificial intelligence, quantum computing and synthetic biology, because they know that mastering these technologies will bring them greater influence. .
Image source,Reuters
The brave image of British spy Bond 007 is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. MI6 Director Moore said: We all like 007 movies very much, even if we know it is not true.
To this end, he announced that MI6 will cooperate with private technology companies to help develop the world‘s top technology to solve the biggest problems in intelligence work.
The British intelligence personnel need to carry out operations without being discovered by their opponents, and they need to be able to conduct operations in an “environment where there are surveillance technologies made in China everywhere.”
Analysis: “Late Admission”
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner (Frank Gardner) analyzed that Moore’s speech may be regarded by the outside world as a “late recognition”: MI6 is at risk of falling behind in the speed of digital technology’s life-and-death progress.
Through the National Security Strategic Investment Fund (National Security Strategic Investment Fund), MI6 will invite outstanding talents from science and technology institutions to cooperate in tackling key problems and solving problems in intelligence work.
Gardner’s analysis believes that this major change of MI6, “the British opponents will not turn a blind eye”, it is necessary to allow professional spies who believe in secrecy as the highest criterion to establish cooperation with others outside the closed world, no matter how censored cooperation is. The background identity of the subject will bring leakage or more serious risks.
“MI6 may have no choice but to embark on such a path, but this is always a bold move and may give some of the British enemies some interesting opportunities.”
Analysis: the intelligence heads out of the shadows
BBC security correspondent Correra analyzed that the heads of MI6 used to try their best to avoid the spotlight, and their names were rarely known. Now they know that public appearance is also part of their work.
The current head of MI6 is even active on Twitter. His staff initially felt a little uncomfortable with this, and now Moore has publicly broadcast on the BBC live broadcast.
The reason is that intelligence leaders know that they need public support, partly because they want to be considered responsible, and they know that the public’s trust in secrets is not as good as it used to be.
However, they also hope to use publicity to recruit the last employees and gain support from businesses and other industries.
They hope that, at the same time, part of their work will continue to be kept secret. For the Sixth Division of Intelligence, this means the identity of those who provided the information to them.