PRESS RELEASE (LONDON) — On Sunday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will travel to the United States to meet with US President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to finalize details of a submarine pact designed to counter China.
On Monday, Britain will also release an update to its security, defense, and foreign policy titled the Integrated Review. This document will detail the country’s plans for countering rising international threats.
Tensions with China have increased since the last update in 2021, and Russia has invaded Ukraine.
The meeting in San Diego on Monday is expected to decide the next steps for Australia to receive nuclear-powered submarines, which are part of the AUKUS (Australia-UK-US) plan announced in 2021 to counter China’s growing military footprint in the Indo-Pacific region.
On Saturday, Sunak lauded the AUKUS alliance and argued that the British approach was exemplified by such alliances.
Global alliances are the United Kingdom’s greatest source of strength and security in these uncertain times, he said.
I’m heading to the States to kick off the next phase of the AUKUS nuclear submarine program, which “binds ties to our closest allies” and “delivers security, new technology, and economic advantage here at home.”
The United States and Britain agreed to provide Australia with the technology and capability for nuclear-powered submarines under the initial AUKUS deal announced in 2021.
Britain hopes that the deal, which marks the first time the United States has transferred its nuclear-propulsion technology to Britain since the 1950s, will stimulate the country’s sluggish economy and lead to the creation of new jobs.
