LONDON (Dispatches) — China, Russia and Iran pose three of the biggest threats to the UK in a fast-changing, unstable world, the head of Britain’s foreign intelligence agency claimed Tuesday.
In his first public speech since becoming head of the Secret Intelligence Service, also known as MI6, in October 2020, MI6 chief Richard Moore said China is the intelligence agency’s “single greatest priority” as the country’s leadership increasingly backs “bold and decisive action” to further its interests.
China, he said, conducts “large-scale espionage operations” against the UK and its allies, and tries to “distort public discourse and political decision-making”.
Moore said the UK also continues “to face an acute threat from Russia.” He charged that Moscow has sponsored killing attempts, such as the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal in England in 2018, mounts cyberattacks and attempts to interfere in other countries’ democratic processes.
“We and our allies and partners must stand up to and deter Russian activity which contravenes the international rules-based system,” the MI6 chief said.
Moore said Iran also poses a major threat. He accused the Islamic Republic of trying to fuel political turmoil in neighboring countries.
As a co-invader of Iraq and Afghanistan, British troops are accused of the most inhuman crimes in the two countries. Britain’s intelligence services are also widely known to have helped establish some of the most violent terrorist groups in the Middle East.
Iran, however, has helped defeat Daesh and other extremist groups in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere.
Moore argued that Britain’s spies must give up some of their deep-rooted secrecy and seek help
 from technology firms to win a cybersecurity arms race.
The top spy, speaking at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, said the disruptive potential of artificial intelligence and other rapidly developing technologies means the spy agency has to “become more open to stay secret” in a world of destabilizing technological change.
“According to some assessments, we may experience more technological progress in the next 10 years than in the last century, with a disruptive impact equal to the Industrial Revolution,” he said. “As a society, we have yet to internalize this stark fact and its potential impact on global geopolitics.
British spies, he said, “are now pursuing partnerships with the tech community to help develop world-class technologies to solve our biggest mission problems.”
“Unlike Q in the Bond movies, we cannot do it all in-house,” Moore added, referring to the fictional MI6 gadget-maker in the 007 thrillers.
Moore said working with the private sector is a “sea change” for an organization enmeshed in secrecy. Until 1992, Britain’s government refused to confirm the existence of MI6.
MI6 began publicly naming its chief, who uses the code name C, in the 1990s.