US President Donald Trump has warned Britain against deepening business ties with China, even as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized the economic benefits of resetting relations with Beijing during a visit to the Chinese capital.
Speaking at the premiere of the “Melania” film at the Kennedy Center, Mr Trump addressed Britain’s growing engagement with China, saying: “Well, it’s very dangerous for them to do that, and it’s even more dangerous I think for Canada to get into business with China.” A Downing Street spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Meanwhile, Mr Starmer held three hours of talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Jan 29, calling for a “more sophisticated relationship” that includes improved market access, lower tariffs, and investment deals. Addressing the UK-China Business Forum, Starmer described his meetings with Xi as “very warm” and productive.
“We warmly engaged and made some real progress, actually, because the UK has got a huge amount to offer,” Mr Starmer said. He highlighted agreements on visa-free travel and reductions in whisky tariffs as “really important access, symbolic of what we’re doing with the relationship.” Starmer stressed that such steps are key to building “the mutual trust and respect that is so important.”
The visit reflects the Labour government’s priority of strengthening economic ties with China amid domestic challenges in delivering promised economic growth. Starmer emphasized that Britain could pursue closer relations with China without jeopardizing its historic partnership with the United States.
“The relationship we have with the US is one of the closest relationships we hold, on defence, security, intelligence, and also on trade,” he said. “We do not have to choose between closer ties with the US or China.”
Mr Starmer’s trip comes amid Trump’s on-off threats of trade tariffs and controversial proposals, such as seizing Greenland, which have unsettled longstanding US allies. Trump has similarly warned Canada over economic deals with China during a recent visit by Canadian leader Mark Carney.
Looking ahead, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected to visit China soon, and Trump himself has indicated plans to travel there in April, underscoring the growing global contest over economic engagement with Beijing.
