‘Speak softly and carry a big stick’, counselled Theodore Roosevelt of foreign policy. At the Royal College of Defence Studies in the UK, I got a chance to do exactly that – carry a big stick that is! At the RCDS, I delivered a two-hour lecture on the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and, more broadly, China’s ‘world view’, to a class of over 100 senior military officers, civil servants, parliamentarians and private sector executives from the UK and from over 50 countries worldwide. The RCDS rather curiously, but charmingly, did not have a laser pointer but a big - and heavy! - stick meant to be used in lieu. There is no (known) photographic evidence of my wielding this, but as I vaguely circled groups of features in the South China Sea and tried to pinpoint Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal (both flashpoints in the South China Sea), arms flailing under the weight, it was quite clear that Jedi Master I was not! 😂 My thanks to the RCDS, in particular @ComdtRCDS Lt Gen Sir George Norton; @PJ_Parham CMG and the Senior Directing Staff, for the invitation to speak before such a distinguished group. I also enjoyed the opportunity to further engage with college members over a ‘school dinner’ and coffee afterwards. A wonderful community! 📸 1: After the lecture 📸 2: Being introduced by Philip Parham CMG 📸 3: With Sir George, Philip and some Members after 'school dinner'