Biden acknowledges ancestors from England, notably a 19th-century sailor who was his great-great-grandfather and is quite proud of his Irish-American background.
Sunak brings gifts to Biden: According to Sunak’s spokesman, the president visited Ireland in April and referred to Christopher Biden’s book “Naval Discipline: Subordination Contrasted with Insubordination” as the Royal Navy’s manual for dealing with mutiny.
Sunak will also present Biden with a customized Barbour jacket built nearby his northern English district and embroidered with the title “Mr. President” on a front pocket in the Oval Office.
The US and UK leaders have a long history of exchanging gifts at summits; nevertheless, Downing Street hopes this time goes better than when Barack Obama received Gordon Brown in 2009.
Brown brought a decorative pen stand built from a Victorian anti-slave ship’s timbers. Obama handed over a package of DVDs only compatible with North American computers.
To receive the VIP treatment that few visiting dignitaries receive, Sunak will have a joint press conference with Biden while staying at Blair House, the presidential guest mansion conveniently located near the White House.
About today’s concerns, such as China, Sunak has trimmed British sails to coincide with US policy winds while praising a post-Brexit leading role in artificial intelligence.
He has announced plans to host the first AI summit in the world in the autumn, promising to develop a coordinated strategy to maximize its potential in fields like medicine while avoiding doomsday scenarios in which sentient computers eradicate humans.
Before the White House event, Sunak said, “Time and time again throughout history, we have created paradigm-shifting new technologies, and we have harnessed them for the good of humanity.”
“We need to repeat that,” someone said.
However, considering that the United States and the European Union have already started their discourse on a code of conduct, there are already obstacles to Britain’s hypothetical role in AI regulation.
Considering that both the US and UK administrations are edging closer to offering air support to Kyiv to repel Russia’s invasion, there is an anticipation of a more positive outcome for the Ukraine summit.
Both parties agree that it is too early to assign responsibility for Moscow’s role in this week’s partial demolition of a Ukrainian dam. Still, they also agree on the need to stop Moscow’s aggressiveness.
Sunak went into Thursday’s summit saying that the invasion demonstrates the necessity for transatlantic economic convergence, albeit giving up hope for the time being on a post-Brexit trade deal with the United States.
“More economic interoperability will give us a crucial edge in the decades ahead,” he added. “Just as interoperability between our militaries has given us a battlefield advantage over our adversaries.”
As a result of Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which provided significant subsidies to businesses with US operations, Sunak is advocating for US relief for UK automakers through increased access to vital minerals needed in batteries.
Before NATO’s summit in Lithuania the following month, Sunak has also expressed endorsement for British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace as a potential leader while mentioning the prime ministers of Denmark and Estonia as potential candidates.
The tenure of current NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is set to expire in October.
Sunak gently denied the opportunity to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Washington Nationals vs. Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game on Wednesday night.
They should put a (cricket) bat in my hand, Sunak told Nats manager Dave Martinez after a military band performed the UK and US anthems.