ianwil.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

The UK govt & environmentalists want to ‘engage’ #China on #climatechange , but as I write in the spectator there is little evidence a transactional Beijing gives a hoot about the planet and sees such diplomacy as means for furthering its broader interests www.spectator.co.uk/article/chin...

submitted 12 days ago • 0 comments

A pleasure to join Louis Sykes on Times Radio’s Trump Report, talking #china #tariffs and much more youtu.be/xcu8bFn7SzU?...

submitted 26 days ago • 0 comments

As DonaldTrump imposes more tariffs, Chinese companies are finding multiple ways to avoid them, often by just re-badging 'made in China' as made in elsewhere. As I write in @thetimes it could turn into giant game of whac-a-mole #China #TradeWar #trump www.thetimes.com/business-mon...

submitted 29 days ago • 0 comments

Operation kowtow continues. As I write in the Mail on Sunday, Keir Starmer's govt is ignoring local residents & security concerns in what appears to be a murky deal to allow #China to build a monstrous new embassy in East London

submitted 29 days ago • 0 comments

The villain of my 2nd novel Zero Days is an unhinged power-hungry tech tycoon who wants to own the ultimate cyber weapon of the title. At the time, I didn't specifically model him on Elon Musk but he's growing into the role #ElonMusk #CYBER #Hacking www.amazon.co.uk/Zero-Days-Th...

submitted 48 days ago • 0 comments

Keir Starmer and his ministers appear to be competing to see who can kowtow lowest to China. As I write in the spectator not only is it desperate & morally repugnant, but can only increase dependencies and undermine security #China #reeves www.spectator.co.uk/article/labo...

submitted 49 days ago • 0 comments

Timing of Rachel Reeves’s visit to Beijing is awful. As I report in the Spectator, the govt's attempt to construct a coherent #china policy is shameful. If there is one lesson from recent years of policy failure, it is that appeasement doesn't work www.spectator.co.uk/article/what...

submitted 53 days ago • 1 comment

Just days away from Lewes Speakers Festival, where I'll be discussing my new book Vampire State: The Rise and Fall of the Chinese Economy - trying to make sense of a faltering & predatory economy. What's the true story of #china 'miracle'? Join us if you can www.ticketsource.co.uk/lewesspeaker...

submitted 55 days ago • 0 comments

US Treasury hack caps a frenzied year for #china cyber spies - and as I write in the Spectator Beijing is becoming more Russian - looking to undermine and sabotage and not just steal know-how on an industrial scale #treasuryhack #hacking #cyber www.spectator.co.uk/article/chin...

submitted 62 days ago • 1 comment

It has been 7 years since I published Beijing Smog, a tongue-in-cheek thriller about corruption and repression in China. At the time it seemed a little dystopian. Now jt seems more real than ever amzn.eu/d/cdLIMWx

submitted 65 days ago • 1 comment

That #china is a threat is blindingly obvious, so why is Keir Starmer so desperate to avoid those words - even in the face of the latest spying scandal? Here’s my take for the spectator #chinaspy #influence #espionage www.spectator.co.uk/article/keir...

submitted 76 days ago • 1 comment

A series of aggressive military and economic moves by #china in recent days are designed to send a message to Donald Trump, but as I write in the Spectator, Beijing will be the loser in any intensifying trade war #donaldtrump #tradewar #taiwan www.spectator.co.uk/article/chin...

submitted 79 days ago • 0 comments

Excellent Newsweek investigation into China’s ‘United front’ influence operations in the UK in light of prince Andrew spy scandal. More on shocking duplicity of British elite in my book Fire of the Dragon: China’s New Cold War #china #andrew #UFWD www.newsweek.com/kilts-qipaos...

submitted 79 days ago • 0 comments

A pleasure to be back on frontline at Times Radio with @jameshansonradio.bsky.social talking China’s Syrian blow, Beijing’s latest military tantrum around Taiwan as it preps for Trump 2 and much more #china #syria #russia #ukraine youtu.be/A8-VVUQ9HIw?...

submitted 82 days ago • 0 comments

Iranian and Russian guns sustained Assad's brutal rule, but so did the promise of money from China, who designated the Butcher of Damascus a 'strategic partner' #China #Syria #Assad #Russia #Iran www.spectator.co.uk/article/assa...

submitted 84 days ago • 0 comments

#China is spending billions to expand and modernise its military at a pace rarely seen in peace time, but as I write in the Spectator, the most cutting edge features of its top brass remain graft and political intrigue #PLA #corruption #taiwan #xijinping www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-...

submitted 93 days ago • 0 comments

If true, this is the 3rd successive defence minister to face corruption charges - the last 2 hand-picked by Xi Jinping. Further evidence of the rot at the heart of the CCP #china #corruption on.ft.com/415W6f1

submitted 97 days ago • 0 comments

Academic fraud is rife with #china at the forefront. As I write in the Spectator, journals are waking up to reality of fake science thanks to dogged detective work of @elisabethbik.bsky.social worthy winner of @einsteinberlin.bsky.social award #fraud #science www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-...

submitted 100 days ago • 4 comments

Academic fraud is rife with #china at the forefront. As I write in The Spectator, journals are slowly waking up to reality of fake science thanks to dogged detective work of Elisabeth Bik - worthy winner of the Einstein Foundation's top award #science #fraud www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-...

submitted 101 days ago • 1 comment

Here’s my @spectator take on the Starmer-Xi meeting at #G20 - badly timed, desperate even, laden with drearily familiar platitudes and showing little understanding of #china use of economic coercion www.spectator.co.uk/article/keir...

submitted 105 days ago • 0 comments

As #ElonMusk has grown closer to Trump, #China has stepped up its flattery, seeing him as an important asset. As I report in the Sunday Times Beijing has showered favours on Musk who has a staggering conflict of interest #tesla #chinaeconomy #musk www.thetimes.com/article/e970...

submitted 107 days ago • 0 comments

A pleasure to join Jonathan Fink on the excellent Silicon Curtain podcast, talking #china #trump and my new book, Vampire State: The Rise and Fall of the Chinese Economy youtu.be/Be9-wGJFmQY?...

submitted 107 days ago • 0 comments

It’s early days and unpredictability is arguably Trump’s main diplomatic asset. But here’s my effort to read his #china policy and the curious role of #elonmusk - who has accepted multiple CCP favours and parroted Beijing talking points www.spectator.co.uk/article/will...

submitted 113 days ago • 0 comments

Real pleasure to be back on Frontline at Times Radio talking to James Hanson about China, Russia, their unstable relationship & my new book, 'The Vampire State: The Rise and Fall of the Chinese Economy #china #russia #putin #ukraine #taiwan youtu.be/OU9AIMK_D9g?fe…

submitted 114 days ago • 0 comments

#china is looking to control the very building blocks of life. Here's my Daily Mail piece on the chilling implications of Beijing's ambition to build the world's biggest DNA database - much of it harvested from the West #Genomics #DNA www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

submitted 114 days ago • 0 comments

With Elon Musk playing large part in Trump election - & possibly in new admin - it’s worth reminding ourselves of his close links with #china from whom he’s received mulpiple favours. As I wrote in Spectator his free speech absolutistism stops at China border www.spectator.co.uk/article/xi-s...

submitted 115 days ago • 0 comments

#halloween is spooking #China paranoid leaders as they try and crack down on online memes and wordplay poking fun at them. As I write in @spectator, the CCP doesn’t have a sense of humour - which emboldens crafty internet users #internet #memes #censorship www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-...

submitted 124 days ago • 0 comments

Delighted to have such a positive review from the FT - a 'timely and important read' it says of 'Vampire State', and 'Williams’s sceptical prognostications about China’s economic future are hard to argue against'. Who am I to disagree with that? on.ft.com/3NJCJ3J

submitted 126 days ago • 0 comments

#china latest economic stimulus is underwhelming given the challenges it faces. As I argue in @spectator, 5% growth only obtainable by cooking the books and economy is unreformable while Xi prioritises security and CCP control www.spectator.co.uk/article/whil...

submitted 160 days ago • 0 comments

A decade ago, Xi Jinping launched multi-billion $ masterplan to conquer the world of football. As I argue in The Spectator it's been a colossal failure and speaks volumes about plan to build 'innovation economy' by similar means #China #football #Innovation www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-...

submitted 166 days ago • 0 comments

What’s the point of Hong Kong’s trade offices - its quasi-embassies - now that #china has destroyed HK autonomy and criminalised dissent? As I explain in the Spectator, calls are growing to strip them of their diplomatic privileges #hongkong www.spectator.co.uk/article/are-...

submitted 170 days ago • 0 comments

My new book is published today by Birlinn books. #China troubled but predatory #economy remains addictive to some, but also coercive, corrupt & surreal as CCP ruthlessly bends business to its will - but it is fast running out of options

submitted 180 days ago • 0 comments

Really delighted to be sharing the stage with the BBC’s excellent Sarah Rainsford at the @Wimbookfest to talk about our new books and the challenge of #russia and #china tickets now available!

submitted 185 days ago • 0 comments

A Chinese cyberattack on Moscow, the scrapping of key gas pipeline & #China renaming Vladivostok as Haishenwai, its old Chinese name. As I argue in @spectator there are cracks in 'no limits' partnership #PutinsWar #Hacking #cyberespionage www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-...

submitted 185 days ago • 0 comments

New UK #Labour govt says it will stand up to #China, but as I report in @spectator it is stumbling at the first hurdle, delaying key measure to counter influence of hostile states, which MI5 has described as essential for Britain’s national security www.spectator.co.uk/article/labo...

submitted 185 days ago • 0 comments

China's troubled but predatory economy is addictive to some, but coercive, corrupt & at times surreal. My new book, published on 5 Sept, shows how CCP ruthlessly bends business to its will - but is fast running out of options #china #economy #vampirestate #corruption birlinn.co.uk/product/vamp...

submitted 198 days ago • 0 comments

Why is Beijing downplaying a massive gas discovery in the South China Sea? Very possibly because it doesn’t belong to #china - not legally. And as I report in exploiting it will send tensions soaring #vietnam #southchinasea #energy #geopolitics www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-....

submitted 198 days ago • 0 comments