Former UK prime minister’s private correspondence revealed in documents obtained by POLITICO

 

LONDON — Former U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss secretly lobbied the British government to “expedite” the sale of defense equipment to China, documents released to POLITICO show.

 

In a private letter dated August 2023, Truss — who casts herself as the most high-profile China hawk on the Tory backbenches — asked Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch to intervene on behalf of a British defense manufacturer hoping to sell military equipment to China.

 

U.K. security officials had blocked Richmond Defence Systems — a defense firm based in Truss' Norfolk constituency — from exporting landmine disposal equipment to the People's Republic of China.

 

Experts say the equipment could be used by Beijing in an invasion of Taiwan.

 

(more)

 

https://www.politico.eu/article/liz-truss-lobby-ministers-defense-exports-china/

 

 

Politics and money, eh ?

 

Military equipment? 

 

Landmine disposal equipment actually helps to save lives and prevent horrific injuries, often in children.

You mean she was in office long enough to actually do something?

 

1 minute ago, JonnyF said:

Military equipment? 

 

Landmine disposal equipment actually helps to save lives and prevent horrific injuries, often in children.

It’s also very useful for an Army that wishes to attack another nation who’s boarders and/or defense positions are protected with land mines.

 

But I get your point, soldiers of an invading army are all somebody’s children.

 

 

8 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

It’s also very useful for an Army that wishes to attack another nation who’s boarders and/or defense positions are protected with land mines.

 

If I sell someone a defibrillator, and they choose to beat someone to death with it, would you hold me responsible for their death?

 

8 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

 

But I get your point, soldiers of an invading army are all somebody’s children.

 

 

 

That was actually quite funny for you  . I never realized you had a sense of humour. 

I wonder, could the UK trade Liz Trust with China?

 

Perhaps get a couple of plastic buckets in a fair exchange.

4 hours ago, bendejo said:

You mean she was in office long enough to actually do something?

 

 

Unfortunately, she was in office long enough to spook the markets and tarnish further the UK's international standing.

4 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Military equipment? 

 

Landmine disposal equipment actually helps to save lives and prevent horrific injuries, often in children.

 

Maybe we should also sell Putin this type of equipment?

6 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Military equipment? 

 

Landmine disposal equipment actually helps to save lives and prevent horrific injuries, often in children.

Anti-missile systems also actually help to save lives and prevent horrific injuries, often in children. By your lights, it would have been OK for Truss to allow UK business sell those to the Chinese as well. Apparently, to your way of thinking. being equipped with materiel that would reduce damage to the Chinese armed forces and make success more likely, would in no way make it more likely that the Chinese would launch an invasion. It is to laugh. 

11 minutes ago, placeholder said:

Anti-missile systems also actually help to save lives and prevent horrific injuries, often in children. By your lights, it would have been OK for Truss to allow UK business sell those to the Chinese as well. Apparently, to your way of thinking. being equipped with materiel that would reduce damage to the Chinese armed forces and make success more likely, would in no way make it more likely that the Chinese would launch an invasion. It is to laugh. 

 

Yet your boy Biden sells weapons to Israel to blow up Palestinian civilians.

 

Presumably that's fine. But Truss selling landmine detectors isn't.

 

Your hypocrisy amuses me.

4 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

Yet your boy Biden sells weapons to Israel to blow up Palestinian civilians.

 

Presumably that's fine. But Truss selling landmine detectors isn't.

 

Your hypocrisy amuses me.

Your lack of basic understanding saddens me.

You think it's okay for Liz Truss to okay the sale of materiel that will help China invade Taiwan. The defensive material that Truss okayed isn't about protecting civilians. It's about protecting Chinese troops when they invade. 

As for my "boy Biden", not only is invoking him irrelevant, but I challenge you to find an instance of me defending his over-the-top support of Israel.

13 minutes ago, placeholder said:

As for my "boy Biden", not only is invoking him irrelevant, but I challenge you to find an instance of me defending his over-the-top support of Israel.

 

But instead of criticizing him you're on this thread attacking Truss. 

 

Interesting...

10 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

But instead of criticizing him you're on this thread attacking Truss. 

 

Interesting...

 There’s a clue at the top of this thread as to why people might be discussing Truss.

2 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

But instead of criticizing him you're on this thread attacking Truss. 

 

Interesting...

What's not so much interesting as bizarre is that your obsession with Biden leads you to believe that because I'm not criticizing Biden here, then I should be elsewhere criticizing him and not criticizing Truss here. I don't see any reference to Biden in the subject line of this thread. Apparently, as is the way of obsessives, you do. 

 

For what it's worth, and to repair your ignorance, I have criticized Biden and the US very strongly in the appropriate threads, for their unmitigated support for Israel. 

1 hour ago, placeholder said:

What's not so much interesting as bizarre is that your obsession with Biden leads you to believe that because I'm not criticizing Biden here, then I should be elsewhere criticizing him and not criticizing Truss here. I don't see any reference to Biden in the subject line of this thread. Apparently, as is the way of obsessives, you do. 

 

For what it's worth, and to repair your ignorance, I have criticized Biden and the US very strongly in the appropriate threads, for their unmitigated support for Israel. 

 

Perhaps we should stop selling them medicinal products, in case they give it to soldiers who get sick invading Taiwan?

 

Or maybe stop selling them crude oil, in case they refine it and then use it for vehicles to invade Taiwan?

 

Or stop selling them cars, in case the generals use them to drive to meetings to discuss strategies invading Taiwan?

 

Desperate stuff. You and Chomp's obsession with Truss is out of control. Maybe look closer to home for examples of politicians arming nations? You know, like Biden. 

 

12 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

You and Chomp's obsession with Truss is out of control. Maybe look closer to home for examples of politicians arming nations? You know, like Biden. 

I don’t speak for anyone else but I’m sticking to the topic of discussion, refer top of this thread for a clue.

 

Your repeated attempts at whataboutary are noted.

 

 

2 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I don’t speak for anyone else but I’m sticking to the topic of discussion, refer top of this thread for a clue.

 

Your repeated attempts at whataboutary are noted.

 

 

A small footnote about Biden does not make the post off topic. 

 

It's not like your posse never mentions Trump in threads which are not about Trump. 

 

Let's have some consistency. The thread is about exporting to regimes that may use the equipment for nefarious means. It's natural that your boy gets mentioned when he is supplying equipment to blow up Palestinian civilians.

 

Truss is exporting equipment designed to save lives. I know you value lives based on political affiliations but let's try to be reasonable. 

39 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

A small footnote about Biden does not make the post off topic. 

 

It's not like your posse never mentions Trump in threads which are not about Trump. 

 

Let's have some consistency. The thread is about exporting to regimes that may use the equipment for nefarious means. It's natural that your boy gets mentioned when he is supplying equipment to blow up Palestinian civilians.

 

Truss is exporting equipment designed to save lives. I know you value lives based on political affiliations but let's try to be reasonable. 

First to bang on about Biden and first to mention Trump.

 

Back on topic Jonny.

22 hours ago, JonnyF said:

 

Perhaps we should stop selling them medicinal products, in case they give it to soldiers who get sick invading Taiwan?

 

Or maybe stop selling them crude oil, in case they refine it and then use it for vehicles to invade Taiwan?

 

Or stop selling them cars, in case the generals use them to drive to meetings to discuss strategies invading Taiwan?

 

Desperate stuff. You and Chomp's obsession with Truss is out of control. Maybe look closer to home for examples of politicians arming nations? You know, like Biden. 

 

Do you understand what dual use means?  It describes something that has civilian use as as well military use.. What's the civilian use of mine removers for China? Has someone planted mines on Chinese territory?

22 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Desperate stuff. You and Chomp's obsession with Truss is out of control. Maybe look closer to home for examples of politicians arming nations? You know, like Biden. 

Because posting about Liz Truss's support for selling China military equipment that could be used to invade Taiwan  in a thread about Liz Truss's support for selling China military equipment that could be used to invade Taiwan is obsessive? By your standard, all relevant posts are signs of obsessiveness. Your comment is ridiculous.

Edited January 19, 20242 yr by placeholder