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World News
08 September 2025

UK Seeks Bold Tech Alliance With US Ahead Of Trump Visit

Peter Kyle’s Washington meetings and Peter Mandelson’s call for a US-UK technology partnership highlight Britain’s push for economic growth and global influence before President Trump’s state visit.

With the world’s eyes fixed on Washington and Beijing, the United Kingdom’s new Business Secretary, Peter Kyle, is stepping into the global spotlight this week. As he embarks on a whirlwind diplomatic mission, Kyle’s agenda is packed: cement a burgeoning technology partnership with the United States, lay groundwork for a digital trade pact, and navigate the tricky waters of engagement with China—all in the run-up to US President Donald Trump’s eagerly anticipated state visit to the UK on September 17, 2025.

Kyle’s visit to Washington marks his first major international engagement since Sir Keir Starmer’s Cabinet reshuffle, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. According to The Telegraph, Kyle will meet with White House technology adviser Michael Kratsios and AI adviser Sriram Krishnan. These discussions are expected to build momentum on a US-UK technology partnership, a move that could have profound implications for both countries’ economic and strategic futures.

“My first visit to Washington as Business Secretary is key to strengthening our special relationship as we face global challenges together and building momentum on our tech partnership and trade deal ahead of the historic state visit,” Kyle stated, underscoring the urgency and ambition behind his trip. He’s not mincing words about the government’s priorities either, telling over 100 chief executives, entrepreneurs, and trade union leaders in a video call on his first full day in the job: “This Government’s number one mission is economic growth. We need to crack on and do it. We must double down, while being creative and unrelenting in pursuit of our goal.”

This relentless drive for growth comes on the heels of a significant milestone earlier in 2025: London and Washington agreed to a new trade deal that, as government officials have highlighted, opens a path to a future UK-US technology partnership and lays the foundation for a digital trade agreement still under negotiation. For Britain, which has been grappling with a stuttering economy, this is more than just a diplomatic dance—it’s a lifeline.

But the UK’s ambitions don’t end at the Atlantic. After his day of meetings in Washington, Kyle will fly directly to China, signaling a pragmatic approach to international relations. The UK government has made clear it seeks cooperation with Beijing in non-sensitive areas to stimulate economic growth, even as it remains ready to challenge China where necessary. It’s a balancing act that reflects the complexities of today’s geopolitical landscape, where economic opportunity and national security concerns are increasingly intertwined.

Against this backdrop, the conversation about the US-UK relationship is taking on new urgency and nuance. In a speech to the Ditchley Foundation just days before Trump’s visit, the UK’s ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, offered a candid—and at times provocative—assessment of the moment. He described Trump as “a risk-taker in a world where a ‘business as usual’ approach no longer works,” arguing that the president’s willingness to defy convention is a necessary wake-up call for a global order that, in Mandelson’s view, was already fraying.

Mandelson’s remarks, reported by The Guardian, went beyond mere flattery. He called for a US-UK technology partnership covering artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and rare-earth minerals—areas he believes are central to winning what he described as “a competition with China that will shape this century.” Drawing a historical parallel, Mandelson said such a partnership could be “as important as the security relationship the US and UK forged in the second world war.”

He didn’t shy away from the geopolitical stakes, warning, “If China wins the race for technological dominance in the coming decades, every facet of our lives is going to be affected.” To that end, Mandelson indicated that the first concrete steps toward this partnership—including new commitments for cheap nuclear energy to power the AI revolution—are likely to be announced during Trump’s state visit. It’s a bold vision, one that underscores just how high the stakes are for both sides of the Atlantic.

Notably, Mandelson argued that Brexit, far from diminishing the UK’s relevance to the US, has actually made Britain a more attractive destination for American investors by freeing it from European regulatory constraints. This, he suggested, positions the UK as an ideal partner for the US in the fast-evolving tech sector.

Yet not everyone is convinced by Mandelson’s optimistic framing. Critics have pointed out that his analysis assumes a set of common values between Trump’s “Maga” movement and European liberal democracy that may no longer exist. They note that in his pitch for a closer alliance, Mandelson avoided thorny issues such as Gaza, the international rule of law, Trump’s approach to Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, and concerns about creeping authoritarianism at home. Still, Mandelson was adamant that pragmatic engagement is the only sensible course, dismissing those who advocate for a pivot away from Trump’s America as guilty of “lazy thinking.”

“The president may not follow the traditional rulebook or conventional practice, but he is a risk-taker in a world where a ‘business as usual’ approach no longer works,” Mandelson said. “Indeed, he seems to have an ironclad stomach for political risk, both at home and abroad – convening other nations and intervening in conflicts that other presidents would have thought endlessly about before descending into an analysis paralysis and gradual incrementalism.”

Mandelson was quick to point out that Trump’s “America First” strategy doesn’t mean “America Alone.” He argued, “We see him leverage America’s heft to put the right people in the room and hammer out compromises in order to grind out concessions.” As evidence, he cited Trump’s efforts to bring new energy to the search for peace in Ukraine and his willingness to intervene in multiple international conflicts over the past seven months.

Perhaps most strikingly, Mandelson praised Trump’s military action on Iran’s nuclear program, saying, “Trump understands the positive coercive power of traditional American deterrence, deterring adversaries through a blend of strength and strategic unpredictability, as we saw in his decisive action on Iran’s nuclear programme. Well beyond their military impact, these strikes gave a swathe of malign foreign regimes pause for thought.”

As the countdown to Trump’s September 17 state visit continues, the sense of anticipation—and uncertainty—is palpable. For the UK, the coming weeks represent a pivotal opportunity to redefine its global role, harness the transformative power of technology, and forge new alliances in a world where the old rules no longer seem to apply. Whether this bold new partnership can deliver on its promise remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the stakes have rarely been higher.