This is an excellent, enlightening view of the world of a secret intelligence service. People in the West must know that especially Chinese, Russian and Iranian spies are among them. China wants control and expects all Chinese abroad to gather intelligence – I mean all Chinese. Chinese communities abroad are considered part of China, with their first allegiance to the PRC. The PRC even have their own police stations in some countries in order to keep a check on what they’re up to. The Russians are busy conducting a hybrid warfare against those thwarting their attempts to claim Ukraine.

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For nearly 40 years, Richard Moore was a career spy in the UK’s secret intelligence service. He was unable to tell all but his closest friends and family what he did for a living. When he was appointed chief of MI6 in 2020, that changed: The name of the person in the agency’s top job is the only one made public.
In his first interview since leaving the role in Sept. 2025, Moore talks to The Mishal Husain Show about managing China’s security threat, the psychology of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and why spies shouldn’t expect recognition. See my page on Spycraft and Espionage.