Richard Moore, the chief of the British foreign intelligence agency MI6, said on Tuesday that China, Russia, and Iran, along with international terrorism, top the United Kingdom’s (UK) threat list. Moore made the remarks while addressing a session on international security hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.
Noting that these threats make up the “big four” of major security issues facing British intelligence agents, Moore said that all four actors are expected to thrive in an “unstable” world and could exploit new changes in technology to their advantage. Furthermore, he noted that the technological advances made in the field of artificial intelligence and other disruptive technologies mean that the MI6 must “become more open” to embracing these technologies.
“Our adversaries are pouring money and ambition into mastering artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and synthetic biology, because they know that mastering these technologies will give them leverage,” he added. He also said that China is a prime example of a country that collects data on a massive scale to gain more information and power.
Noting that China is the UK’s “single greatest priority,” Moore said that Beijing conducts “large-scale espionage operations” against the West and tries to “distort public discourse and political decision-making” through the manipulation of technology, allowing a “web of authoritarian control” around the world.”
Moore also mentioned that Chinese intelligence agencies are “highly capable” of using social media platforms to target government employees or those researching China. “Chinese intelligence officers seek to exploit the open nature of our society, including through the use of social media platforms.”
Moreover, he said that Beijing has been using the Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minority groups to test their latest technological advances. Moore called the development “worrying” and added that these “technologies of control and surveillance” are also being exported to other governments by China, thereby “expanding the web of authoritarian control around the planet.”
Moore also touched on the hotly contested issue of Taiwan. “Beijing’s growing military strength and the [Chinese Communist] party’s desire to resolve the Taiwan issue, by force if necessary, also pose a serious challenge to global stability and peace,” he said. In this respect, the spy chief warned China not to underestimate the West’s capabilities, adding that since “Beijing believes its own propaganda about Western frailties,” adding that the “risk of Chinese miscalculation through overconfidence is real.”
With regard to Moscow, Moore said that the UK continues “to face an acute threat from Russia.” He noted that Moscow has stepped up its assassination attempts on critics and dissidents, including the poisoning of former Soviet spy Sergei Skripal in England in 2018. He went on to say that Russia has increased cyberattacks against Western countries and is continuing to interfere in their democratic processes.
“We and our allies and partners must stand up to and deter Russian activity which contravenes the international rules-based system,” he said. “No country in Europe or beyond should be seduced into thinking that unbalanced concessions to Russia bring better behaviour.”
The MI6 chief also warned about the threats posed by Iran, including Tehran’s use of proxy militias in the Middle East and its growing cyber capabilities. Moore said that Iran’s use of Hezbollah in Lebanon exemplifies how Iran uses foreign groups to sow chaos in another country and create a “state within a state.”
Against this backdrop, Moore stressed the importance of the MI6 adapting to the new threats and adopting new measures to combat them, including greater cooperation with the private sector. Experts have noted that Moore’s statements signal the willingness of the MI6 to become more open and transparent, which would mark a giant shift for a government that refused to confirm the agency’s existence until 1992.