China risks making miscalculation: British spy chief

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China risks making miscalculation: British spy chief

MI 6 chief says China is priority No. LONDON, Nov 30 Reuters - An overconfident and assertive China under President Xi Jinping and Communist Party rule risks making miscalculations on the international stage, including underestimating the resolve of the United States, Britain's spy chief said on Tuesday.

In his first public speech as Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service SIS known as MI 6, Richard Moore said that China and Russia were racing to master technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

The transformation of China into a superpower has challenged the post-Cold War dominance of the United States militarily, economically and increasingly in espionage, according to Langley to Moscow.

Adapting to the world affected by the rise of China is the single greatest priority for MI 6, Moore, 58, said in a speech in London.

He said that China's desire to resolve the Taiwan issue, by force if necessary, is a serious challenge to global stability and peace. China considers the democratically-ruled island to be part of its territory.

China stripped Hong Kong citizens of their rights, carried out abuses in its western Xinjiang province and tried to distort public discourse and political decision making across the globe, Moore said.

He said Beijing believes in its own propaganda about Western frailties and underestimates Washington's resolve. The Chinese embassy in London did not respond immediately to a request for comment on Moore's remarks.

China has repeatedly criticized Western criticism of its actions, saying that the path set by its Communist Party has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. It denies abuses in Xinjiang, says the former British colony Hong Kong faces a security threat from secessionists, and accuses the United States of creating tension over Taiwan.

In 1979, China had an economy that was smaller than Italy, but it has become the second-largest economy after opening to foreign investment and introducing market reforms, a rapid rise with few parallels in history.

Moore, who joined MI 6 in the 1980s and worked under diplomatic cover in Vietnam, Turkey, Pakistan and Iran, said technological progress could surpass progress over the next decade.

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, Moore said.

Moore lamented the dire state of relations between Britain and Russia, saying that his first memories were as a child growing up in Moscow in the 1960s, as his father had been sent to the Soviet Union.

Moore said that he has a deep respect for Russia's history and culture. The UK doesn't want to have a difficult relationship with Russia. We will do whatever it takes to keep our country safe and defend against the full spectrum of threats Moscow poses.