The General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) in its annual report says that 2022 has been a gloomy year. Russia is at war, China is fighting for world domination, and at the same time a growing group of right-wing extremists in the Netherlands are convinced that an evil elite is pulling the strings. But whether that group is willing to use violence remains to be seen, according to director general Erik Akerboom.
He says it is difficult to give an indication of how big the possibility is, or how big the group is capable of committing violence. And that’s a troubling picture, says Akerboom. Especially since Russia does not tend to exert influence. “The Russians will not miss an opportunity to add fuel to the fire,” Akerboom says in a conversation with journalist Martijn de Rijk. “We got used to it. But we see this happening more clearly in other European countries, because there is also a different feeling.’
“The Russians will certainly add fuel to the fire”
Akerboom points out that support for the war in Ukraine and for the Ukrainians in the Netherlands is very high, while it is lower in other European countries. And it is precisely those countries that the Russians are targeting, he thinks.
China
In addition to the threat from Russia, the Netherlands also has to contend with China’s relentless intrusion. According to Akerboom, there is an ongoing series of cyberattacks from China and attempts to steal knowledge from unique high-tech companies, universities and large corporations. “With the aim of ourselves becoming the most powerful country in the world,” continues Akerboom. “And sometimes even take sides against the West.”
And where the Dutch may have been blind to Chinese interference in the past, the director general thinks awareness is actually growing. As an example of vigilance, Akerboom cites the application process, in which he says it’s best to look at who employs a company and who is applying.
In a hat
While it is generally believed that Russia and China are in cahoots, the AIVD concludes, however, that China is “keeping the powder dry” and thus not yet showing any color. “We see the Russians trying to hang on to China and trying to find support,” Akerboom continues. But they really can’t. The rostrum sees Russia weakening and the West struggling, so Xi will be thinking ‘so far, so good’.
He therefore believes that the Netherlands should pursue a different approach towards China than towards Russia. Also because China is an important trading partner for the West and Holland. “But they also pose a serious threat,” she concludes. “And we see both united in their views against the West. They reject the international legal order as a Western invention and instead want a new legal order.”
Source: BNR
Fernando Dowling is an author and political journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He has a deep understanding of the political landscape and a passion for analyzing the latest political trends and news.
