Donald Trump Warns UK It Is ‘Very Dangerous’ to Deal with China
Former U.S. President Donald Trump said it was “very dangerous” for the UK to engage with China, as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer continued his visit to Beijing aimed at resetting bilateral relations.
Trump made the remarks while reacting to agreements announced after Sir Keir met Chinese President Xi Jinping during his three-day trip, which focused on increasing business and investment between the UK and China.
“Well, it’s very dangerous for them to do that,” Trump said at the premiere of a documentary about his wife Melania when asked about Britain increasing business ties with China.
Downing Street responded by noting that Washington had been aware of the UK trip and its objectives in advance. Officials also highlighted that Trump himself is expected to visit China in April.
Trump did not elaborate further on the UK’s engagement with China, instead turning to Canada with a similar warning. “It’s even more dangerous, I think, for Canada. Canada is not doing well. They’re doing very poorly, and you can’t look at China as the answer,” he said.
Earlier this week, Trump had threatened to impose tariffs on Canada over economic deals it struck with China during a recent visit by Prime Minister Mark Carney to Beijing.
Sir Keir, meanwhile, described the UK’s relationship with China as being in a “good, strong place” following his talks with Xi at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday. “The very good meetings provided just the level of engagement we hoped for. We warmly engaged and made real progress, because the UK has a huge amount to offer,” he said during a UK-China Business Forum meeting at the Bank of China in Beijing.
The trip has already yielded several agreements, including visa-free travel, lower whisky tariffs, and a £10.9 billion investment by AstraZeneca to build manufacturing facilities in China. Co-operation on organised crime and illegal immigration was also agreed.
Chris Torrens, chair of the British Chamber of Commerce in China, called Sir Keir’s visit “successful,” adding, “It makes sense for the UK to be looking to China, one of its larger trading partners. Other Western leaders have either recently visited Beijing or will do so soon, including Trump, who is expected in April.”
Sir Keir is scheduled to travel to Shanghai before leaving for Tokyo to meet Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi for a working dinner.
The trip has drawn criticism from opposition MPs. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp accused Sir Keir of “kowtowing to President Xi” and claimed the government is trading “national security for economic crumbs off the Chinese table.”
In 2025, the US remained the UK’s largest trading partner, while China ranked fourth, according to the Department for Business and Trade. (Agencies)
