The Thucydides Trap

I think you've got to get this in proportion. What we're discussing at this part of this evening is not the general question of trade between China and other countries. We're talking about a very specific area of Chinese companies that are tendering for contracts in what is called the critical national infrastructure. It depends, secondly, whether these companies could be instructed by their government to involve themselves in political interference. In Britain, there is no such law, I have to say, that would allow any British government to instruct a British company, operating in China, to interfere with systems. Under Chinese law, it seems to be something which is permitted. So on the vital public services, 5G networks