the big irony is: The UK was holding with HK a private container-shipping entry-point in china. Chinas comeback 100 years later will be holding a container-shipping island in europe named “UK”. They would love to ship all their stuff next to europe and offer 3 day shipping to everyone in europe. And the UK is the island they gonna need for that. Russia and China put a wedge into the brains of 20% (30% were already lost/tories/racist/uneducated) of UK voters by letting people vote themself out of the EU and make it available for desperate contracts. The modern internet made it possible to confront everyone with its own fears via targeted ads. You are afraid of foreigners? Well, they will all come to your country! You are a racist? Well, there are million others, you should feel proud of yourself! You are anxious about sea-rights for shipping? Well the EU is gonna take it away from you… and so on.
The weakest people think from the wall to the kitchen. Maybe from the house to the end of the street. But they will never understand international relations or foreign affairs. They are easy target. Too stupid to notice, too stupid to fight back. And the best thing is: you only need 51% to take full control. China and Russia knows this. They know the weakness of democracies and deliberately act on these weaknesses.