Cameron: China - a potential military threat to UK

[Elfin safety]

Well, that's what David Cameron seems to be suggesting... citing China along with Iran as potential threats in order to justify spending on renewing the UK nuclear capability.

Cameron Says China Uncertainty Requires U.K. Nuclear Deterrent

Is he warmongering or scaremongering?

Rather worrying attitude from the prospective next British prime minister

[IceEagle]

Well, that's what David Cameron seems to be suggesting... citing China along with Iran as potential threats in order to justify spending on renewing the UK nuclear capability.

Cameron Says China Uncertainty Requires U.K. Nuclear Deterrent

Is he warmongering or scaremongering?

Rather worrying attitude from the prospective next British prime minister

Well, he said "we can't be certain of the future in China" which I am naively willing to interpret in multiple ways for the greater good. (E.g. in a very unlikely hypothetical scenario where China is drawn in as an opponent in a war opposing a nuclear armed North Korea or something...)

[bookblogger]

Is he warmongering or scaremongering?

Neither. Nuclear weapons have kept the peace since 1945 and it could be seen as more irresponsible to get rid of them. Cameron was probably responding to the Lib Dem proposal to drop Trident.

[Elfin safety]

Neither. Nuclear weapons have kept the peace since 1945 and it could be seen as more irresponsible to get rid of them. Cameron was probably responding to the Lib Dem proposal to drop Trident.

Well, OK (although the assertion is debateable...paper tiger and all that)... but why pick on China, a vital strategic partner?

If he is worried about a nuclear-armed country where there are concerns about political stability posing a potential future threat, then he might have better cited eg Pakistan.

The only clouds on the horizon where China is concerned is over Taiwan and North Korea, but those two issues are largely a matter between China and the USA... why would the UK get involved? I really don't think there will be a replay of the Korean War; and there is a growing conciliatory mood between the PRC and the ROC regimes.

And does anyone seriously believe the UK needs a nuclear deterrent against China? The main likely threat of nuclear strike comes from the capability falling into the hands of nebulous non-state terrorist groups.

For someone aspiring to be a world leader, it was a crass remark and I doubt unlikely to have gone unnoticed in Beijing. A sinophobic Cameron government could have interesting implications for UK-China relations over the next 5 years...

[Elfin safety]

Well, he said "we can't be certain of the future in China" which I am naively willing to interpret in multiple ways for the greater good. (E.g. in a very unlikely hypothetical scenario where China is drawn in as an opponent in a war opposing a nuclear armed North Korea or something...)

Well, we can't be certain of the future anywhere...

[Football16]

This pretty much sums up the stupidity of the statement. When your party has to issue statements clarifying your remarks you know he is not that smart.

"The Conservatives issued a statement saying, “David Cameron was demonstrating the extent of uncertainties in the world, not saying China is a threat to the U.K.”"

What is ironic is that neither the UK nor the USA seem to get how modern international relations should be conducted and maybe they need to learn something from the PRC who show a lot more patience and diplomacy than either of these other two nations. While the USA and UK have squandered money and soldiers in Iraq the PRC have gradually been solidifying relations and tying up resource deals the world over.

[bookblogger]

Well, OK (although the assertion is debateable...paper tiger and all that)... but why pick on China, a vital strategic partner?
...
And does anyone seriously believe the UK needs a nuclear deterrent against China?

Probably not, but it's hard to see the future, and renewing Trident requires 30 years' planning. Cameron could have chosen a better example.

I take issue with China being "a vital strategic partner" to the UK though... where do you get that from? Its only allies are North Korea and Myanmar.

[PDLM]

Indeed - Pakistan is, in principle, a military ally (all of its top officers are UK-trained, for example). China isn't.

[gilleshk]

Keeping a nuclear capability in the UK is more about pride than anything else. It's already seen as being a puppy following the US so giving it up would no doubt reinforce that image.

At the end of the day,does anyone believe nowadays that a country would launch a nuclear attack on someone else?

Let the US, Russia and China stockpile and save some money. Anyway, the US military spending is larger than the next 10 countries combined so whatever the UK does, it's a drop in the bucket. A desperate grasp at having some kind of relevance in world politics...

[bookblogger]

A desperate grasp at having some kind of relevance in world politics...

A common theme of yours, but the UK still has the world's 5th largest economy.