General Sir Nick Carter is the Head of the UK Armed Forces. He was asked yesterday – 28 February 2021 – whether there was a risk that China could develop a technological advantage over the West’s military dominance. Carter replied “China is an extraordinary country for innovation, and technological innovation for that matter”.
It may seem odd on a quiet Monday morning in the UK as we recover from weekend indulgences to be talking about War. But it is talked about very much – not because War is inevitable but because it is discussed internally every day by the High Command of all major countries.
The Thucydides Principle is uppermost in the minds of political and military chiefs in Washington and Beijing. Is the US searching for a pretext to bring China down a step or two
and, thereby, protect the world dominance of the US?
No panic yet but planning goes on as the UK plans to send its new aircraft carrier to the Far East.
Eyes should be wide open. Big issues are at stake. Can China defend itself? Will the US orchestrate a 1964 Gulf of Tonkin
Incident?