Joe Biden, the president of the United States, and Rishi Sunak, the new prime minister of Britain, decided to team up to help Ukraine and confront China during meetings on Tuesday, according to the White House.
They first chatted a few hours after Sunak became Britain's third prime minister this year, inheriting an economic crisis after Liz Truss resigned after just 49 days in office.
According to the White House's read-out of the call, the two leaders also underlined the "special connection" that exists between the United States and Britain and pledged to cooperate to enhance world security and prosperity.
“The leaders agreed on the importance of working together to support Ukraine and hold Russia accountable for its aggression,” the statement said of the war triggered by the Russian invasion of its pro-Western neighbor in February.
The White House said Biden and Sunak also agreed to “address the challenges posed by China,” which Washington has identified as its top geopolitical and economic rival on the world stage today.
Downing St had earlier released its own read-out of the call in which it said the pair “discussed the extent of UK-US cooperation, both bilaterally and in regions such as the Indo-Pacific,” as well as the more contentious issue of Northern Ireland.
China’s foreign office spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday that Washington must abandon its “zero-sum thinking” on Beijing.
“China is a partner and a (source of) opportunity for the development of all countries, not a challenge and a threat,” Wang said at a daily press briefing.
“Instead of spreading its outdated ‘China threat theory’ and piecing together a small clique with no future, it should try to establish a new mindset of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, and do more to promote world peace and development.”
Earlier on Tuesday Biden had congratulated Sunak in a tweet.
On Monday Biden described the naming of Britain’s first non-white prime minister as “pretty astounding, a groundbreaking milestone.”
Britain has been a key European ally of the United States in arming and supporting the Ukrainian military as it tries to repel the Russian invasion, which began in February.