Warning from WashingtonTrump warns British Prime Minister Starmer against getting too close to China
US President Donald Trump has warned British Prime Minister Keir Starmer against becoming too close to China.
The background is that Starmer promoted the economic benefits of realigning relations with China during a visit to Beijing. “It’s very dangerous for them to do that,” Trump told reporters on the sidelines of a film premiere in Washington when asked about closer British-Chinese ties. He did not provide any further explanation. Starmer called for “more differentiated relations” with better market access, lower tariffs and investment agreements in a three-hour conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.
Starmer spoke of “real progress” after his “very warm” meetings with Xi. He praised deals on visa-free travel and lower tariffs on whiskey as “really important access and a symbol of what we want to do with this relationship.” In this way you build mutual trust and respect, said Starmer on Friday at an economic forum in the Chinese capital. His Labor government, struggling to deliver on promised economic growth, has made improving relations with the world’s second-largest economy a priority. According to a representative from the city of Liverpool, the Chinese car manufacturer Chery is planning to open a research and development center in the English city.
Starmer said Britain does not have to choose between the US and China. The relationship with the USA is one of the closest in areas such as defense, security and trade. The government in Washington was also informed in advance about the destinations of the China trip, said a British government representative. Starmer’s visit comes against a backdrop of Trump’s repeated threats of tariffs and his demand to take over Greenland, which has unnerved long-time allies such as Britain.
US Trade Secretary Howard Lutnick expressed skepticism about Britain’s chances of success in dealing with China. “The Chinese are the biggest exporters and it is very, very difficult to export there,” he said. Other European leaders are also seeking contact with the People’s Republic and the leadership in Beijing. Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected in China shortly, French President Emmanuel Macron was in December.
