The US and Britain underscored their commitment to a unified approach on China as the long-time allies opened a new bilateral strategic dialogue in London on Tuesday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy stressed the importance of their countries liaising on global issues, including their stance towards Beijing, at a news conference at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Lammy, who was named Britain’s top diplomat following the Labour Party’s victory in the national general elections in July, highlighted the value of the new mechanism dubbed the UK-US strategic dialogue.
“This dialogue can identify ways for us to strengthen those connections of course even further and I know that would be a benefit to both of our countries but frankly to much of the global community,” said Lammy, previously a British lawmaker for decades.
He touted the allies’ partnership in the Indo-Pacific region and their dealings with China, saying these issues would play a central role in the strategic talks.
China’s Xi urges US to be a partner, not rival, for ‘mutual success’ in meeting with Blinken
Blinken described Britain as an “indispensable partner” in tackling various global issues, including “the challenge posed by China”. “We need to make sure that we are fully aligned on the north stars,” America’s top diplomat said. “[That is] where it all starts, so I am very enthusiastic about this process.”
The dialogue comes amid rising global tensions. The US and Britain are seeking to strengthen their position in the Indo-Pacific amid China’s expanding sway there. The US and China are locked in a contest to gain access to prime maritime routes in the region and rich mineral deposits lining the Pacific floor. Each seeks strategic defence advantages that come from forging alliances with countries across the vast area.
In this vein, Lammy in June said he would undertake “a full audit … of our relationship with China so that we can set the direction and a course” in remarks at an event hosted by London-based think tank Chatham House. Last month, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke by phone for the first time and expressed their desire to broaden cooperation between their countries in areas like trade, the economy, combating climate change and ensuring global security.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke in August. Photo: SCMP Composite
However, the British side urged “open, frank and honest discussions to address and understand areas of disagreement where necessary, such as Hong Kong, Russia’s war in Ukraine and human rights”,according to the Financial Times.
For his part, Xi said he hoped the new prime minister would be able to “look at China objectively and rationally”.
On Tuesday, neither Lammy nor Blinken elaborated on their country’s China strategy.
Yet their remarks build on earlier US-led efforts to bolster America’s presence in the Indo-Pacific, such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit held in Washington in July.
At that gathering, the US announced Blinken would meet this year with the foreign ministers of Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea –NATO’s Indo-Pacific partners.
And in late August, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell travelled to the region, attending the Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ summit in Tonga as well as the opening ceremony of America’s newest embassy, located in Port Vila, Vanuatu.
Campbell is slated to take part in the UK-US talks on Wednesday
FOREIGN SECRETARY LAMMY: It’s very special to host you, Tony, here today and to open this new bilateral Strategic Dialogue together. In many ways it’s remarkable; this is a new format. We’ve been close partners for a very, very long time. A century ago, Foreign Secretary Ramsay MacDonald was committed to a consistent friendship and cooperation with the people of America, and that has endured and holds true today. But I believe that this format gives us an opportunity in a difficult, volatile, insecure world to remain strategically aligned on a whole range of issues. You know how personal to me the relationship is with the United States having studied in the United States, worked in the United States, lots of family across the United States. It’s a very special relationship, particularly for me. But I believe that this dialogue can identify ways for us to strengthen those connections, of course, even further, and I know that would be a benefit to both of our countries but frankly to much of the global community.
In my first week in office, I went to Washington, of course. We met for the NATO conference. We have been – I think we’ve spoken nearly every other week in that period, for which I am hugely grateful. But on Russian aggression particularly, the backing of the stalwart position of standing with Ukraine, tackling the Iranian malign activity, and of course, in our support and efforts to stabilize issues in the Middle East, this is hugely, hugely important. It’s also important for our partnership in the Indo-Pacific and our approach to China. And so I’m looking forward to the discussions that would embed this Strategic Dialogue going forward, and I’m very, very grateful, Tony, for you spending your time here today.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, David, thank you so very much. Thank you for the incredibly warm hospitality. Thank you for hitting this job at a full sprint, because you’ve been going all out from day one. And given the multiplicity and complexity of challenges that we’re dealing with, I am personally and the United States more generally is grateful for that – you, the prime minister, the entire team.
And to your point, I think what makes the relationship genuinely special – and I would even say essential – is that we are working hand-in-hand on all of the issues that matter most to our people, that are having the biggest effect on their lives, as well as people around the world because of the impact that our two countries have well beyond our own borders, beyond our own shores.
For us, the UK is the indispensable partner when it comes to the very issues that David was talking about, whether it’s dealing with the Russian aggression against Ukraine, whether it’s dealing with the conflict in the Middle East, whether it’s dealing with the challenge posed by China, and so many transnational issues that have no respect for borders and that have a profound impact on the lives of people around the world.
So we couldn’t be more grateful for this partnership, for the energy that David and the prime minister have put into it. But I think the merit of what we’re doing with the Strategic Dialogue is to make sure, as always, that we are fully focused and fully aligned on the north stars. And the day-in/day-out work that then follows is critical, but making sure that we are fully aligned strategically really is where it all starts, and so I am very enthusiastic about this process. We have our senior teams meeting together, working together. I’m here today, Deputy Secretary Campbell will be here tomorrow, and we will carry out the work of making sure that our strategies are aligned and then doing the work every single day. I can’t think of two governments, two countries where we have more daily, sometimes hourly, communication on everything that matters. But making sure that we have the strategic framework for that is vitally important, and I’m so glad we’re doing it. Thank you.
On Tuesday, neither Lammy nor Blinken elaborated on their country’s China strategy.
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