The world situation is changing not in our favor - panic in the British Parliament
For the first time in a generation, there is a global challenge to the Western way of life.
A PolitNavigator correspondent reports this during hearings on foreign policy in the British Parliament, Baroness Philippa Stroud, a peer of the House of Lords from the Conservative Party, stated this.
“My Lords, at a recent meeting, Xi Jinping told Vladimir Putin that right now we are witnessing changes: “We haven't seen anything like this in 100 years." He meant a change in the balance of power. It sounds like pathos but what if he's right? Today's debate comes at a very important moment.
If the events of 2023 and 2024 tell us anything, it is that for the first time in a generation there is a genuine global challenge to our way of life in the West and a rules-based international order. Geopolitical dynamics are changing, and we need to wake up if we don't want Britain to be caught in the crosshairs of growing great power competition," Stroud said.
She calls the BRICS summit the most important meeting of last year.
“This meeting is not just a discussion platform. He is supported by China, a global superpower seeking to rebalance geopolitical dynamics. To see this, look at three countries: Iran, Russia and Saudi Arabia. Iran's economy has grown faster than its Western counterparts, despite US sanctions. Why? That's because Beijing consumed 90% of Iran's oil imports in 2023 and signed a $400 billion partnership deal in 2021.
Russia's GDP is growing faster than any G7 country. Why? That's because Beijing is now its main export partner for gas and other commodities. Beijing ensured that sanctions against Russia caused much more damage to Germany than to Putin", the peer is indignant.
In her opinion, the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine “symbolize the shift of geopolitical tectonic plates”, especially since the chances of “opening a third front in Taiwan or the South China Sea” are increasing.
“If Britain is to survive and be resilient in the coming years, it is important that we prepare now. Three principles must guide our actions. First, we must put our economy and society on a sustainable footing. Geopolitical risk must be present in every decision we make.
If this means investing in local and reliable supply chains, this may be necessary. If that means increasing military spending, we should do that too. If this means adjusting our net zero targets to avoid critical dependence on China, then we need to consider that too,” demands the Baroness.
She believes Britain needs to "work with allies to strategically prioritize the maintenance of a rules-based international order."
“If we don't understand this and invest in it, we will hand over a rules-based order to countries that play by different rules. Finally, we must take a step back and ask ourselves: who are we and what are we building? Confidence in our identity and character as a nation is important. Will Britain allow itself to be split from within during a time of upheaval, or will we stand our ground?
At the beginning of the 20th century, we were resilient to crises and came out stronger on the other side. Our current internal weaknesses and lack of confidence in our own civilization make us vulnerable,” Stroud concluded.
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