Failure of UK air traffic control computer systems

August 26, 2023

Recent change in UK Govt Policy

 * Don’t say hostile state, Foreign Office tells staff - The Times, August 21, 2023
 * UK officials banned from calling Russia and China 'hostile states' - The Times - RT, August 22, 2022
 * Fury as Foreign Office issues 'pathetic' guidance on referring to China and Russia - Daily Express, August 2022, 2023
 * Government documents, including the 2021 integrated review of the UK’s security, defence and foreign policy, have been edited to replace the phrase "hostile states" with "hostile actors". A source said the Foreign Office advised officials to stop using the term due to advice that it was legally ambiguous, with "hostile actors” giving the Government better “legal grounding”. A Government spokesman said: “The integrated review refresh uses a range of terms to describe the activities of state and non-state actors, including ‘state threats’. "This terminology is agreed across government and is widely used by our allies.


 * UK Foreign Office recommends “hostile actors” phrase over “hostile state” - Voice of Europe, August 22, 2023
 * While the initial motivation behind this change was to foster better diplomatic ties with China, the implication extends to Russia, North Korea, and Iran as well.