Our speaker in October was Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry. Chris Parry spent 36 years in the Royal Navy, commanding several major warships and holding a number of strategic and policy appointments in the Ministry of Defence. During the Falklands Campaign he rescued 16 SAS troopers from a glacier in South Georgia and disabled an enemy submarine. Today he advises governments and companies on geo-political and strategic issues and is a frequent commentator on these and naval issues.
Chris talked about the major geopolitical issues that are likely to affect our future in the next ten years or so. In particular, he described a two-bloc world, with one bloc led by China, Iran and Russia, and another predominantly comprising maritime democracies led by the United States. These blocs are complemented by a large number non-aligned, ‘in-betweener’ states. Chris explained what this connected, but contested world will mean for the UK and for business, investments and geopolitics. He outlined the likely future direction of US and Chinese strategic policy and the risks of confrontation between the two blocs.