In a rare interview, the head of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service spells out his plans to modernise MI6. He tells Anne McElvoy and Shashank Joshi, The Economist’s defence editor, why China is his most pressing priority. The spymaster wants to recruit diverse talent, but how is he encouraging ethnic minorities to join the ranks? And what does “C” make of his big-screen counterpart “M” in the James Bond films?

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