Labour peers Lord Robertson and Lord West used the latest Lord Speaker’s Corner podcast to outline how Beijing and New Delhi fit into the shifting geopolitical landscape, arguing that Western policy must adapt to long-term structural realities.
Responding to a question about whether China and India could be distanced from Moscow, Lord West argued that economic pressure could influence Beijing, stating that “secondary sanctions would have an impact on Xi Jinping and would actually start splitting him away” from Russia.
He added that “if it’s not in their interest, China’s interests, they won’t do it,” while noting that “they’ve got no love for Russia.”
On India, he said the picture was more complex, remarking that “India made a lot of money out of Russian oil.”
Lord Robertson said India’s reliance on Russia for military equipment is longstanding, explaining that “the equipment that we produce is far too unique, far too specialised and far too expensive. So they rely on Russia for that.” He noted that recent US sanctions had prompted New Delhi to cancel some oil contracts with Moscow.
Both peers described China as a sustained strategic challenge. Lord Robertson reiterated that “we’ve got to engage with China, but recognise that it is going to be the future challenge militarily, commercially and diplomatically.” He maintained that “it’s probably better to call the Chinese a problem rather than a threat at the present moment.”
Lord West referenced the Intelligence and Security Committee’s recent China report, saying it had “identified all of the things that are a problem with China and all of the areas where they are causing us problems.” He argued that Beijing represents a long-term concern because of “this unholy alliance between the population and the industrialists and the party,” which he said supports continued one-party rule.
The discussion also touched on AUKUS. Lord West called it “a brilliant agreement,” highlighting its mix of nuclear-powered submarines and advanced technologies such as hypersonic systems and AI. Lord Robertson added that the pact signals to regional partners that the UK and US remain engaged, saying it shows “we’re still involved, we’re still interested and that we recognise that there is a long-term problem with China.”
The full conversation is available on the Lord Speaker’s Corner podcast.
