Biden, Sunak Agree on Continued US-UK Cooperation Against China’s ‘Malign Influence’

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak makes a statement after taking office outside Number 10 in Downing Street, in London, on Oct. 25, 2022. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

U.S. President Joe Biden and new UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have agreed on the need to work together against the Chinese regime’s “malign influence,” Downing Street says.

The two leaders had their first phone call on Oct. 26, hours after Sunak officially took office.

A Downing Street spokesperson said that Biden congratulated Sunak on his appointment, adding that “the leaders looked forward to working closely together.”

Biden said that the UK remains America’s “closest ally,” and Sunak agreed on the “huge strength” of the relationship, the spokesperson said.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak waves to members of the media after taking office outside No. 10 Downing Street, London, on Oct. 25, 2022. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

The leaders discussed UK–U.S. cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, where the AUKUS pact—which includes Australia—forms part of their joint efforts to “enhance stability and counter China’s malign influence,” Downing Street said.

AUKUS is a landmark agreement signed in September 2021 under which the UK and the United States will provide Australia with the technology and capability to deploy nuclear-powered submarines. It’s widely seen as a regional alliance against the Chinese regime’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

According to a White House readout of the conversation, Biden and Sunak agreed on the importance of working together to “address the challenges posed by China.”

President Joe Biden gives remarks on the status of COVID-19 in the United States from the South Court Auditorium at the White House campus in Washington on Oct. 25, 2022. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Northern Ireland

The two leaders, who will meet next month at the G-20 summit in Indonesia, also agreed on the need to ensure that the people of Northern Ireland have “security and prosperity” through the preservation of the Belfast Agreement, Downing Street said. The Belfast Agreement is also known as the Good Friday Agreement.

The UK government intends to scrap parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which forms part of the Brexit withdrawal bill and is aimed at preventing a hard border on the island of Ireland following Britain’s exit from the European Union.

The protocol has been fiercely opposed by unionists in the British province, who complain that it effectively keeps Northern Ireland within the EU single market, while erecting a border in the Irish Sea between the province and mainland Britain.

The EU has criticised the UK’s actions for breaking international law and undermining trust between the two sides; the Biden administration had warned Sunak’s predecessor Liz Truss against “efforts to undo the Northern Ireland protocol.”

Ukraine

The leaders also discussed the war in Ukraine, another issue of common concern.

Biden and Sunak reflected on the “leading role” the two countries are playing in “supporting the people of Ukraine and ensuring Putin fails in this war,” Downing Street said.

Earlier, Sunak spoke by phone to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, telling him that the UK’s support for Ukraine would be “as strong as ever under his premiership,” and that Ukraine can count on the UK to stand in “continued solidarity.”

According to Downing Street, Sunak also noted the importance of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s work in Ukraine, which he said would “ensure nuclear safety and provide transparency around any disinformation.”

PA Media contributed to this report.