U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday singled out China and Russia for criticism and agreed to deepen cooperation on new economic challenges such as the risks of artificial intelligence.
Following a meeting in Washington, Biden and Sunak issued an "Atlantic Declaration" document outlining plans to strengthen national and economic security for the two allies in the years to come, including efforts to build stronger supply chains for semiconductors and other key industrial products.
"We face new challenges to international stability -- from authoritarian states such as Russia and the People's Republic of China; disruptive technologies; non-state actors; and transnational challenges like climate change," the declaration said.
As Western officials try to get to the bottom of the recent destruction of a huge dam in the Russian-controlled part of southern Ukraine, Biden told a joint press conference with Sunak that the two also discussed their "unwavering support" for the people of the war-torn country.
Visiting the White House for the first time since becoming Britain's leader in October last year, Sunak described China and Russia as threats that the two countries, both members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, need to address.
"Countries like China and Russia are willing to manipulate and exploit our openness, steal our intellectual property, use technology for authoritarian ends, or withdraw crucial resources like energy," Sunak told the press. "They will not succeed."
Biden and Sunak, who last met in mid-May in the Japanese city of Hiroshima, where the Group of Seven summit took place, both praised their closer and more frequent coordination on major issues, as the latest meeting marked the fourth between them this year.
The declaration, akin to an action plan, identified five pillars that will be particularly important for a new economic partnership between the United States and Britain.
The five are ensuring their leadership in critical and emerging technologies, improving economic security and supply chains, working toward digital transformation, building a clean energy economy for the future and reinforcing their alliance across defense, health security and space.
"I don't think ever in the history of human endeavor has there been as fundamental a potential technological change as is presented by artificial intelligence," Biden said. "It is staggering."
Sunak said Britain looks forward to hosting the first global summit on AI safety later this year.
The United States and Britain said their senior officials will meet biannually to advance a set of proposals outlined in the declaration.
