A former head of MI6 says the UK needs to “wake up” to the threat posed by China’s threats to international security.
Western nations are “under the full press of Chinese espionage,” according to Sir Alex Younger, who oversaw the UK Intelligence Service from 2014 to 2020.
In the past week, the US military has shot down four objects, including a balloon believed to be a Chinese spy.
According to Sir Alex, the UK must impose restrictions on the nations it will tolerate because they “behave in an unacceptable way.”
A Chinese spy balloon was shot down by the US military on February 4 after flying over important military locations in North America. The object, according to China, was a weather balloon that went astray.
Since then, the three other “unidentified objects” have been downed across North America.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Sir Alex said “this balloon scenario demonstrates there is no trust” between China and western nations.
“This is a gross and really visibly transgression of the sovereignty of many nations.”
The UK must recognise “we’re in a competition” with China, Sir Alex said.
He said: “We need to wake up to this.”
“We need to double down on the strengths that we possess to face this systemic competition that’s going on.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said the government will do “whatever it takes” to keep the UK safe from spy balloons.
On Monday, the prime minister said a “quick reaction alert force” of RAF Typhoon jets was on standby 24/7 to police UK airspace.