UK says China and Russia trying to exploit coronavirus crisis

[snoop1130]

UK says China and Russia trying to exploit coronavirus crisis

 

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Secretary of State for Foreign affairs Dominic Raab leaves Downing Street in London, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), London, Britain May 11, 2020. REUTERS/Toby Melville

 

LONDON (Reuters) - The United Kingdom said on Thursday that China, Russia and Iran were looking to exploit weaknesses shown by the coronavirus outbreak, amid suggestions Beijing had used the crisis to push through new security legislation for Hong Kong.

 

"Coronavirus and the challenges that it has created has created an opportunity or a perceived opportunity for various different state and non-state actors through cyber, through other means," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told Sky News.

 

"I think we've seen it in relation to Hong Kong, I think some people are arguing - it's difficult to glean whether it is true or not - that this is something, the national security legislation that is being put forward, is being done at a time when the world's attention has been on coronavirus," he said.

 

Governments across the world have been severely strained by the coronavirus outbreak, seen as the biggest public health crisis since the 1918 influenza outbreak. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed China for the outbreak.

 

China and Russia have repeatedly denied that they are seeking to exploit the West and say that many of the allegations indicate anti-Chinese or anti-Russia hysteria.

 

"We certainly know Russia is engaged systematically in misinformation and propaganda, through cyber and other ways. Others engage in the same too, China and Iran, but I don't think it had any outcome on the electoral process in the UK," Raab said.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-18

 

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[Thaiwrath]

3 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

had used the crisis to push through new security legislation

Might as well throw Thailand and Prayut into that equation ! 

[Mama Noodle]

3 minutes ago, Thaiwrath said:

Might as well throw Thailand and Prayut into that equation ! 

Don’t forget fatal border skirmishes with India, placing intimidation tariffs on Oz, galactic-sized social media disinformation campaigns, and of course threats to the USA about trade and tariffs. 
 

The turds that they are. 

[PatOngo]

China, Russia and Iran were looking to exploit weaknesses

 

They will take anything they can get by any means of deception!

[sirineou]

Imagine that, enemies trying to exploit weaknesses! What is this world coming to ?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The U.S. doesn't have to worry, because Putin and Xi LOVE Trump, just like he loves tyrants and dictators, being an aspiring one himself.

 

What could possibly make Russia and China any happier than having an addled idiot in charge of a country that's rapidly ceasing to be the world's major superpower under his void of leadership.

 

Quote

Trump didn't know Britain was a nuclear power and inquired whether Finland was part of Russia, according to John Bolton's bombshell memoir

https://www.businessinsider.com/bolton-book-trump-asked-if-finland-part-of-russia-nyt-2020-6

 

Quote

 

President Donald Trump once asked his chief of staff if Finland is part of Russia, according to former National Security Adviser John Bolton

...

 

According to an unpublished manuscript obtained by the Washington Post and the New York Times, Trump asked his chief of staff John Kelly whether Finland is part of Russia.

This isn’t the first time Trump has made basic geography mistakes: He once called the European country of Belgium a “beautiful city,” confused the Baltic states with the Balkans and mispronounced Nepal as “nipple,” Politico reported. 

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelsandler/2020/06/17/trump-once-asked-if-finland-was-part-of-russia-bolton-book-says/#69744b95734c

 

And this is the guy with his fingers on the U.S. nuclear arsenal launch buttons?  

 

When will our long national nightmare of Trump end???

 

 

[yuyiinthesky]

Good to see the UK stand with Hong Kong!

[stevenl]

1 minute ago, yuyiinthesky said:

Good to see the UK stand with Hong Kong!

Words are cheap, even more so in a setting like this.

[yuyiinthesky]

13 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

The U.S. doesn't have to worry, because Putin and Xi LOVE Trump, just like he loves tyrants and dictators, being an aspiring one himself.

If you would read the OP you might notice that this was about the UK and quoting UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. I know, just a small little letter, K vs S, but it’s a different country nevertheless.

 

[yuyiinthesky]

3 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Words are cheap, even more so in a setting like this.

Yes, sure, but better than nothing, and hopefully just a start.

[Bundooman]

1 hour ago, stevenl said:

Words are cheap, even more so in a setting like this.

So are words from OPs on this forum.

They are also pointless.

[stevenl]

1 minute ago, Bundooman said:

So are words from OPs on this forum.

They are also pointless.

So discussions are pointless?

[Traubert]

UK is a busted flush anyway. Be quiet Dominic.

[talahtnut]

China and Russia, the UKs favourite

bogeymen, guaranteed to instill hate

and fear into the Brit sheeple,

a distraction from the inadequacy

and tyranny of the UK government.

[natway09]

The UK may bleat about HK but that is all that Boris will do (& the rest of the world)

Reluctantly I say that HK is now part of China. If the protests had remained peaceful which now 

have escalated into commercial protester hiring along with major pre planned property damage 

it was only a matter of time before Beijing lost patience. 

On ths one I do not think the virus had anything to do with the subsequent actions by China

 

[Chomper Higgot]

Didn’t Johnson put forward an argument that the UK could steal a march in other nations by not locking down?

 

OK, he got slapped down into a U-Turn but he nevertheless had intended to take advantage of other nations protecting their citizens over their economies.

[CG1 Blue]

9 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Didn’t Johnson put forward an argument that the UK could steal a march in other nations by not locking down?

 

OK, he got slapped down into a U-Turn but he nevertheless had intended to take advantage of other nations protecting their citizens over their economies.

It was not a proposed government policy. He may have said something tongue in cheek. 

I guess you're going to enjoy this thread. Another chance for some UK bashing. Pity you don't have the cajones to declare your own nationality...

[Pedrogaz]

You forget to mention China and Russia being responsible for poor weather conditions, locusts in Africa and BLM.

[chilli42]

I have the feeling that many governments have used the distraction and fear associated with COVID (and in the USA the riots) to push through their pet legislation at a time when people are less inclined to activate against it.  

[Baerboxer]

8 hours ago, stevenl said:

Words are cheap, even more so in a setting like this.

 

Have you read about the offers from the UK government?

 

Notice Labour are silent.

[Baerboxer]

2 hours ago, natway09 said:

The UK may bleat about HK but that is all that Boris will do (& the rest of the world)

Reluctantly I say that HK is now part of China. If the protests had remained peaceful which now 

have escalated into commercial protester hiring along with major pre planned property damage 

it was only a matter of time before Beijing lost patience. 

On ths one I do not think the virus had anything to do with the subsequent actions by China

 

 

Er, HK was part of China, and HK people are Chinese. All that changed was Britain secured a lease as part of the terms when ending the Opium war it instigated. Very useful naval base at the time Britannia ruled the waves.

 

 

[fgmr]

You do not have to be a genius to recognise that China has been exploiting the the consequences of the virus since day one.

Which country has benefited the most from the pandemic?

 

Does the UN have the answer?

[candide]

I have no doubt that Russia and China are quite puzzled by the (newly single) UK's position! ????

[daveAustin]

17 hours ago, stevenl said:

So discussions are pointless?

You weren't discussing, merely throwing out tat. UK has basically paved the way for Hong Kongers to gain citizenship if/when <deleted> hits the fan.

[OZinPattaya]

Hmm, I wonder why Trump is "repeatedly" blaming China for this virus. Could it be that it actually came from China? Repeatedly?

 

You know, if Russia wants to align its destiny with China, let it. To me that seems like a very lonely place to be, the only western country that hopefully can learn to speak Chinese. We all know what wonderful decisions Russia has made in the past.

 

Kind of dispels the myth of Russian collusion to get Trump elected, no? Seeing as that Putin seems to be far more interested in a China alliance--in a last and utterly desperate bid to resurrect Russia from its declining status as a global super-power.

 

[OZinPattaya]

14 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

You forget to mention China and Russia being responsible for poor weather conditions, locusts in Africa and BLM.

You forgot to mention the guy from Timbuktu who stubbed his toe getting out of the shower and blamed it all on Trump. Want to play the blame game?