The rise of a great power: starting with military industry

Chapter 281 Arms dealer from the East?

MI6, full name is British Military Intelligence Agency.

It was affiliated with the British War Department before 1963 and then with the British Ministry of Defense.

MI5 is responsible for the domestic security affairs of the UK, and is mainly engaged in counter-espionage and anti-infiltration work; MI6 is responsible for the UK's intelligence activities abroad, and is mainly engaged in espionage activities.

MI5 and MI6 have played important roles in the history of world intelligence and global political landscape.

The Western intelligence community regards MI6 as the "founder" of the British intelligence agency. From the early days of Elizabeth's founding to the present, MI6 has existed for a very long time and is spread all over the world.

In today's world, there has always been a saying of "the world's four major intelligence organizations", referring to the British MI6, the US Central Intelligence Agency, the Soviet KGB and the Israeli Mossad.

In less than half an hour, a meeting was held at 10 Downing Street.

"Richard, please tell me about the situation." Mrs. Thatcher glanced at several core aides present, then looked at a middle-aged man.

Richard, head of MI6.

"After we received the order, we immediately started to collect intelligence. The French were the first suspects. However, according to our investigation, the Exocet anti-ship missiles manufactured by Aerospatiale France have not been exported since April. This has been confirmed by comparing various intelligence reports, so the French can be ruled out as a suspect." Richard said in a deep voice, "There is no evidence that the American anti-ship missiles were shipped to South America, and since they openly support us, the possibility is very small."

"Through the intelligence system in Argentina, we have received accurate information that Argentina has purchased a batch of arms from arms dealers from the East, including weapons and equipment that can arm 10 people, as well as anti-ship missiles." Richard said, "As for the number of anti-ship missiles, it has not yet been determined."

"Another arms dealer from the East. It's not enough that they made a fortune in the Iran-Iraq War, but they are also reaching out to South America?" A core staff member frowned. "They don't have any interests in South America, nor do they have any channels. Besides, we have already blocked the sea. How could they transport such a large amount of arms?"

Although Panshan Machinery Factory has never been public, it has always done business in a low-key manner.

However, with so many weapons appearing in the Iran-Iraq War, Iraq and Persia had long been infiltrated by major intelligence systems, making it impossible to conceal them.

It’s just that Panshan Machinery Factory is an arms dealer. Major countries around the world are doing this, so other people have no right to say anything.

Especially now that "neoliberal economics" is sweeping Europe and the United States, who can blame this normal trade?

You should know that the top two arms exporting countries in the world today are the Soviet Union and the United States!
But they couldn't understand how Panshan Machinery Factory reached out to South America and Argentina.

You have to know that they have only established diplomatic relations for ten years and their exchanges are not close.

How did Panshan Machinery Factory transport such a large amount of arms to Argentina? You have to know that the Royal Navy had already blockaded the sea area.

"According to our intelligence, arms dealers from the East have already shipped weapons to South America. After reaching a deal with Argentina, these weapons were quickly shipped to Argentina," said Richard.

"In that case, we will directly put pressure on the East and ask them to stop selling weapons and hand over the core signal frequency of the missiles!" said a core aide in a tough tone.

Another core staff member who looked mature and steady shook his head slightly and said, "What reason do we have to put pressure on them? You know, up to now, the East has not publicly admitted that they have sold these anti-ship missiles to Argentina? Besides, even if the East has sold them, this is a very normal trade. Why should we put pressure on them? Why should they cooperate with us? Do they have a close relationship with us? Are we familiar with them?"

"But we have evidence!" The staff frowned. "Evidence!? What evidence!? Is that evidence!" Another core staff said in a deep voice, "They can just deny it directly. Do you have any specific anti-ship missiles as evidence? Even if you can produce anti-ship missiles, how can you prove that this is what Dongfang sold to Argentina? And, what makes you think that Dongfang's arms dealers can't do business with Argentina?"

"Don't forget, arms dealers are in the arms business, and they do it for the sake of making money!" The core staff member said unceremoniously, "Don't forget, that is a big country with a population of one billion, and they beat up many gangs thirty years ago!"

"We can unite with the United States, the United States is our ally!" the staff said unwillingly.

"The United States? It's true that we are allies of the United States, but don't forget how we lost control of the Suez Canal and how our colonies became independent one by one?" the core aide said angrily.

After World War II, Churchill's "Iron Curtain Speech" was very successful. It successfully provoked confrontation between the two camps and the advent of the Cold War, which prevented the formation of the world order planned by Roosevelt and Stalin and successfully harmed the United States.

However, the United States and the Soviet Union also joined forces to dismember the colonies of old powers such as Britain and France, triggering a wave of colonial independence.

Even under the pressure from the United States and the Soviet Union, the British had to swallow their anger and give up control of the Suez Canal.

Now, in the financial field, the US dollar is strongly replacing the British pound.

The pound is no longer the most valuable and trusted currency in the world.

There is no such thing as allies or non-allies between countries, but rather interests that are so practical that they are outrageous.

This is most clear to Britain, once the world hegemon and the "Empire on which the Sun Never Sets".

Just like Churchill’s famous saying: There are no eternal friends between countries, only eternal interests!
When it comes to interests, even old rivals like the United States and the Soviet Union, which compete in all aspects, can temporarily put aside their prejudices and reach cooperation in a certain field or on a certain matter.

"Don't forget, Americans and Chinese are very close now, and their economic, trade and political exchanges are becoming increasingly close. The United States also needs China to help it share the pressure from the Soviet Union, and the cooperation between them is increasing." Another core aide had to remind.

The pressure brought by the polar bear is so great that Europe and the United States seem to be unable to withstand it. Even the West-81 military exercise held by the polar bear last year has cast a cloud of pessimism over Europe and the United States.

The situation in the United States is also very bad. In 1980, the U.S. inflation rate was as high as 13.4%, and the foreign trade deficit also set a new record of 364 billion U.S. dollars. In 1981, the U.S. inflation rate was still as high as 9.7%, and the trade deficit still exceeded 300 billion U.S. dollars.

And this was when the Federal Reserve's federal funds rate was as high as 14%. In a telephone conference call at the end of 1980, it was even expressed that the federal funds rate would be raised to 19-20%!

Despite crazy interest rate hikes, the inflation rate is still very high and the trade deficit is also high.

From 1970 to the present, for a full 12 years, the US economy has been in a stage of stagflation.

The first oil crisis dealt a heavy blow to the U.S. economy. Before the U.S. could recover, the second oil crisis broke out in the second half of 1979. Oil prices soared, further hitting the U.S. economy, exacerbating the U.S. trade deficit and deepening the stagflation trend.

In this situation, it is hard to say whether the United States will choose to stand on the side of Britain!

(End of this chapter)