The US president said it was very dangerous for the UK to pursue closer ties with China (IMAGE: X)
Donald Trump has told the UK to watch out before getting too close to China, just hours after Keir Starmer praised the economic ties between the two countries during his visit to Beijing.
Trump didn’t mince words. He called it “very dangerous” for the UK to get friendlier with China, especially as Starmer’s three-hour meeting with Xi Jinping seemed to mark a big shift after years of tense relations.
Starmer, the first British leader to visit Beijing in eight years, promised a “more sophisticated” partnership with China. He came away with better market access, lower tariffs, and some investment deals.
But over in Washington, when reporters asked Trump about Starmer’s push for closer economic ties, he doubled down: “Well, it’s very dangerous for them to do that.”
That kind of comment can make nerves fray in Downing Street, especially since Trump’s known for his unpredictability and his long-running scepticism toward China. Still, one UK official said the Americans already knew about Starmer’s trip and what he wanted to achieve.
On BBC Breakfast, when asked if Trump was wrong, trade minister Chris Bryant didn’t hesitate: “Yes, he is wrong, and I say this precisely because, apart from anything else, he himself said in his own statement that he is a friend with President Xi, and as I understand it, President Trump is going to China himself in April.”
After meeting Xi at the Great Hall of the People, Starmer said the UK’s relationship with China was in a “good, strong place,” and that the talks brought “just the level of engagement that we hoped for.” Speaking at the UK-China Business Forum in Beijing, he sounded upbeat: “We warmly engaged and made some real progress, actually, because the UK has got a huge amount to offer.”
Chris Torrens, chair of the British Chamber of Commerce in China, called the visit “successful.” He told the BBC, “It makes sense for UK to be looking to China, it’s one of its larger trading partners.”
Next up, Starmer was headed to Shanghai, then on to Tokyo for dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. He’s not alone plenty of Western leaders have been making the trip to Beijing lately, looking to build ties with the world’s second-biggest economy and, maybe, to hedge their bets in case the US president keeps everyone guessing.
Trump’s threats around trade tariffs and even his wild idea about buying Greenland have rattled some of America’s closest allies, including the UK.
Just this week, Trump threatened tariffs on Canada if it moved ahead with new deals with China after Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to Beijing.
After weighing in on the UK’s approach, Trump said Canada was in an even riskier spot. “Canada is not doing well. They’re doing very poorly, and you can’t look at China as the answer.” Still, he added, “President Xi is a friend of mine, I know him very well.” The contradictions are classic Trump.
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