US-UK ALLIANCE

EARLIER this month, Britain and the United States agreed a new “Atlantic Charter”, committing both countries to building a renewed alliance to meet the challenges posed by China, Russia, and climate change.

In what was seen as a highly symbolic act, the Prime Minister and the US President revived the original charter signed by Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt in 1941, which is credited with laying the foundations for the post-war settlement.

President Biden said the world was at “an inflection point in history”, adding: “A moment where it falls to us to prove that democracies will not just endure – they will excel as we rise to seize the enormous opportunities of this new age.”

He said the charter would address the “key challenges of this century – cybersecurity, emerging technologies, global health and climate change”.

Following the symposium between the two leaders, the Prime Minister said: “I don’t think it is any exaggeration to say that the relationship between the UK and the US is – the relationship between North America and Europe – incarnated in that Atlantic Charter of 1941, which we’ve renewed, is of massive strategic importance for the prosperity, the security of the world, for all the things we believe in together – democracy, human rights, the rule of law – the US and the UK stick up for those things together. It’s incredibly important that we should affirm that.”

The eight-point charter commits the two nations to pursuing broad aims to defend and promote democracy around the world, while combating challenges such as climate change and the pandemic.

It was accompanied by a lengthy joint statement in which the two leaders pledged a range of actions to push back against the growing power of the world’s authoritarian regimes, including “practical efforts to support open societies and democracy across the globe.”

On defence, the two powers agreed to not only step up conventional military co-operation, but also on cybersecurity, an area where Russia and China are seen as major threats.

The agreement says the two countries should work together to tackle a range of new threats, including those associated with “cyberspace, foreign interference, harmful influence, illicit finance, violent conflict and extremism, and terrorism in all its forms”.

Mr Biden paid tribute to the UK’s military role in joint operations around the world over decades. Commenting on the two countries’ withdrawal from the 20-year war in Afghanistan, the President said: “The UK was with us from the start – they always are.”

The agreement also binds both nations to striking a “technology partnership”, including efforts to build up stronger capabilities in areas currently dominated by China, such as batteries.

Trade talks have taken a back seat since the departure of Donald Trump from the White House six months ago.

But No10 has said the two leaders had agreed to work towards a free trade deal “which would create jobs and bring new opportunities to both of our countries”.

The joint statement also commits both sides to strengthening trade ties, including settling a long running dispute over aerospace subsidies, which has led to tit-for-tat tariffs.

The new charter warned that climate change had reached a “critical point” and committed both countries to decarbonising their economies and helping others around the world do the same.

The declaration also included a lengthy section on tackling the Covid crisis and creating a “Global Pandemic Radar” early-warning system. The agreement will see increased co-operation on accelerating scientific research into vaccines capable of fighting dangerous variants.

The PM hopes to secure agreement among other leading nations to donate one billion doses to poorer countries in the hope of “vaccinating the world” by the end of next year.

The two men also agreed to create a “travel taskforce” aimed at restoring UK-US travel “as soon as possible”. Government sources said the unit, led in Britain by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, would “help accelerate” the resumption of flights between two of the world’s best-connected countries.

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

Hope For The Future, the title of the document released in updating the original 1941 Atlantic Charter, contains the following eight provisos:

. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed to defend the institutions of open societies, including upholding the rule of law and an independent media.

. They will strengthen international bodies to tackle threats such as “the peril of emerging technologies” and to encourage trade.

. In an apparent rebuke to Russia, the US and UK declared nations must have a right to self-governance and should resolve disputes peacefully. They also stated their opposition to interference in elections.

. Technology will be used to improve security and deliver jobs, while investment will aid research into the biggest challenges facing the world.

. The importance of the NATO alliance in a nuclear world was highlighted. The two nations said they remained committed to countering terrorists and cyber threats.

. The leaders said they wanted the global economy to be “inclusive, fair, climate-friendly and sustainable”. They will fight corruption and seek high labour standards.

. On the climate, they warned the world has reached a “critical point” where urgent and ambitious action is needed.

. They recognised the “catastrophic impact of health crises” following Covid and the need for strong collective defences.