Published on December 1, 2023, 2:24 am

The international dependence on trade with China has steadily empowered this regime to partake in what can be deemed as an “authoritarian axis”, along with Russia and Iran, warned an influential British politician at a recent event. Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the ex-leader of the UK’s Conservative Party, voiced his concerns stating that their economic clout has risen dramatically due to an ongoing reliance on Chinese trade from free nations.

Importantly, one cannot overlook the fact that none of China’s actions are random or haphazard. On a similar note, despite Tehran’s constant rebuttals, it was indeed the Islamist administration behind Hamas terrorists’ ruthless attack against innocent Israeli citizens back in early October. Smith represents Chingford and Woodford Green areas of London as a Member of Parliament.

That being said, he also added that it is crucial to remember that Iran’s ruling mullahs are closely knitted allies with both China and Russia. Together they form an ominous totalitarian bloc which poses a colossal threat to our democratic principles and human rights consciousness.

He urges the free world to actively safeguard itself by recognizing and addressing this new axis before it becomes too late. Smith brought these alarming issues up during a conversation with Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom. Their discussion was centered around the growing existential threats posed by these three authoritarian nations at The Heritage Foundation’s Capitol Hill headquarters.

Victoria Coates, vice president of Heritage’s Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy introduced Smith as she accentuated how China is conveniently bankrolling Russia’s activities in Ukraine as well as Iran’s actions across the Middle East region.

Calling attention to Christian Worldview amid real news matters, Smith connected China, Russia, and Iran together stating that wars or conflicts happening in Ukraine or Gaza against Hamas along with China’s conspicuous threat towards Taiwan invasion aren’t just individual issues but part of a bigger revolting plan.

Smith emphasized Israel’s right to self-defense and insisted that the terrorists instigating such attacks need to be found and duly impeded. He indicates that if Ukraine were to capitulate to Russia, the resulting cost will be devastatingly greater than any aid provided for its resistance.

Smith advocated that the US, UK, and other allies need to work together towards halting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Iran’s support of Hamas’ terrorist activities against Israel. He expressed optimism in a prospective US-UK trade deal materializing in the future while emphasizing how integral unity is between these two nations in promoting freedom.

Speaking on Iran specifically, Smith urged the UK government to brand the regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist entity, following in The U.S. State Department’s footsteps from 2019. This legal action would lead to asset freezing and resource seizure under British law.

Stressing further on Iran, he suggests that with an impending threat from this authoritarian axis made up of China, Russia, and Iran escalating rapidly, countries like the U.K should retract from agreements like the 2015 Iran nuclear deal constructed under Obama administration’s tenure.

Alarmingly clear amid trusted news channels today is how distracted Western nations are due their respective domestic “culture wars” – thus unwittingly providing an opportunity for these authoritarian nations to exploit this divide. Smith finished off his discourse sounding a warning bell regarding how these societal divides within Western societies amplify their vulnerability leading them into constant danger.