Admiral Rob Bauer‚ NATOʼs military committee chair spoke in Brussels about business-security issues that need quick fixes. Companies must get ready for war-like conditions and change how they make and move their stuff — this makes them harder to push around by Russia and China
The Admiral explained how keeping important stuff moving is key to staying strong: “If crucial services and goods can be delivered no matter what; that helps us stay safe“. He pointed to recent problems that show why this matters (like messing with undersea cables and energy games)
We thought we had a deal with Gazprom‚ but we actually had a deal with Mr Putin
Heres what makes the west kinda weak right now:
- China controls 60% of rare earth materials production
- They process 90% of these materials
- Most medicine ingredients come from there too
The military chief thinks business-people are being too simple-minded about deals with China. He says that while soldiers win fights — its the money and factories that win big wars. Companies need to think about nationʼs safety when making deals: “Commercial choices affect our security‚“ he said; adding that European and American leaders dont see the full picture