Originally Posted by
Mogwi
Personally, I am glad to see the UK taking this seriously. I speak as one who, as a recent civvy, introduced pilots of a former Soviet-ruled state to the NATO way of operating - with approval from UK Gov. ......... Admittedly things will have moved on a bit from there but I am still quite sure that our oriental friends are decades behind modern Western thinking, when it comes to employing air power - and I believe that we should endeavour to keep it that way. Mog
Quite agree! But, as you point out, often there is official encouragement - if not direct, implied. It was not all that long ago when "trade and investment" with China was being actively promoted/encouraged (2022). This push to trade goes quite a way back - for example back in 2013 with Boris J wishing to encourage "[the provision of] financial and professional services" to China. Some ex-Mil aircrew "selling their professional services" probably saw this as something of a "green light". Of course, times have changed again recently, particularly in terms of events in the SCS but, even in the linked article, it is clear that there were (Feb 2022) opposing views regarding trade in general. So one could say that it's something of an "unintended consequences" moment. True, if a slightly "back door" approach has been taken by individuals it probably shows they had concerns ..... but were there explicit limits laid down as to what was OK and what wasn't? And if there were limits, should those have not been policed better a decade ago? Just some musings really........
https://www.ft.com/content/321ffeaf-...7-4d175edbab8a