This week, Patrick and Tom turn from China’s military power to its less visible, but no less powerful, tools of economic dominance. Their guest, Sam Olsen is a geopolitical strategist with decades of experience studying China who argues that the West’s reliance on Chinese supply chains isn’t just about cheap consumer goods, but runs through the very heart of our defence industries. From rare earth minerals to advanced technology, China has a stranglehold over the components needed to build the weapons of the future. The result is a stark assessment: the real question may not be whether the West could beat China in a war, but whether it could fight one at all.

Guest: Sam Olsen

Hosts: Tom Newton Dunn & General Sir Patrick Sanders

Photo: Getty Images

Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.