In a bid to counter the growing threat from China, the UK’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, vowed alongside his US and Australian counterparts to stand “shoulder to shoulder” to protect peace in the Indo-Pacific given its implications for security across the world.

A “historic” deal 18 months in the making was announced by the three leaders in Point Loma, San Diego, that will see new Aukus submarines seaworthy from the late 2030s. They will be based on a British design, with some made in the UK by BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce – principally in Barrow-in-Furness.