What the UK and the US want from each other
Tom Rogan
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Visiting the White House on Thursday, United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak thanked President Joe Biden for what he described as a “very warm welcome.” The two leaders pledged increased cooperation on trade, Artificial Intelligence, and climate change initiatives. They emphasized that the so-called “special relationship” remains strong.
Still, while cooperation remains particularly significant in Ukraine (even if the U.K. and the United States adopt slightly different strategies in Ukraine), each nation has different priorities when it comes to the bilateral relationship.
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The U.K.’s priority is increased U.S. trade and a reduction in what the U.K. regards as protectionist measures under Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. Sunak also wants to foster a special relationship between the U.S. and the U.K. on Artificial Intelligence innovation and global regulation. The U.K. recognizes that privileged access cooperation with the U.S. AI research base would be an economic and security boon. The U.K. will hope that existing AI-related cooperation between its GCHQ intelligence service and that service’s American NSA counterpart will provide a foundation for this cooperation.
U.S. interests with the U.K. center on Northern Ireland and China.
On Northern Ireland, the Biden administration — and Biden, personally — are concerned over the continuing political stalemate in Northern Ireland. Power-sharing structures are presently dormant, with sectarian political tensions rising in place. The U.S. wants a commitment from Sunak’s government to pressure unionist political elements in Northern Ireland to make concessions to restore power-sharing.
The U.S. also wants the U.K.’s deeper cooperation on matters related to China.
The U.S. is concerned over Chinese efforts to divide the trans-Atlantic alliance, particularly in view of France’s decision to closely associate itself with Beijing. Washington wants the U.K. to stand shoulder to shoulder with the U.S. in resisting Chinese trade coercion, espionage, and Beijing’s other efforts to undermine the democratic international order.
This matters because Sunak and his foreign minister want to balance trade with China alongside retaining American confidence in the special relationship.
But with fears growing that China may soon invade a woefully unprepared Taiwan, Washington has a declining tolerance for China nuance from its closest ally. Indeed, the U.S. is quietly concerned at the U.K.’s private reluctance to commit to joining any U.S. military effort to defend Taiwan.
Top line: the relationship generally remains very strong, but important divisions lurk below the surface.