Starmer brushes off Trump’s warning it’s ‘very dangerous’ for UK to do business with China

Sir Keir Starmer has brushed off Donald Trump’s warning that doing business with China will be “very dangerous”, as the prime minister continues his efforts to bolster economic ties during his controversial trip to the country.

The prime minister met Chinese president Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday as he pushed to create a “more sophisticated” trading relationship between the UK and China.

But hours after the landmark meeting, US president Donald Trump expressed his disapproval of the UK’s efforts to do business with China – despite the US president planning his own visit to the country in April.

Asked by reporters early on Friday about the visit, he said: “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.”

He added that Canada was doing “poorly” and said “you can’t look at China as the answer”.

But speaking to broadcasters in Shanghai, Sir Keir appeared unfazed by the warning from the US president, telling Sky News: “I’ve seen President Trump’s comments. I think, to be fair, he was probably talking more about Canada than the United Kingdom.”

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Adding that the US and UK remained “very close allies”, he said his visit to China had been discussed with Mr Trump’s team beforehand and pointed to the president’s upcoming visit to the country in April.

Sir Keir and President Xi have already struck deals on Scotch whisky tariffs, which are set to be halved to 5 per cent, and visa-free travel to China for British tourists and businesses. President Xi also agreed to lift Chinese sanctions on British MPs and peers, which included a travel ban, after the talks with Sir Keir.

Mr Trump threatened Canada with a 100 per cent tariff on exports earlier in January after Canadian prime minister Mark Carney sealed closer economic ties on his own visit to China.

UK officials insisted the US was aware of Sir Keir’s trip and his objectives in advance, and pointed to Mr Trump’s own visit to China, expected to take place in April.

Mr Trump’s comments were rebuked by trade minister Sir Chris Bryant on Friday, who said his remarks on the UK’s trade prospects were “wrong”.

Asked by BBC Breakfast if the US president was wrong in his remarks, trade minister Sir Chris Bryant said: “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.”

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He added it would be “absolutely bonkers” for the UK not to engage with China.

“I agree that ... of course you have to go into your relationship with China with your eyes wide open,” he told Sky News.

“You have to challenge China on the issues where we disagree with them, but you have to face the fact that China is a major power in the world.

“It’s the second largest economy in the world, and it’s our fourth largest export market. So it would be absolutely bonkers for the UK not to engage with China.”

The US president’s comments came ahead of Sir Keir’s arrival in Shanghai, a massive financial hub, for the next leg of his trip.

His visit to China’s biggest city and global financial hub will cap a controversial trip during which the prime minister’s political opponents accused him of “kowtowing” to Mr Xi.

Sir Keir stressed the financial benefits of an improved relationship with China, which is a major part of global supply chains, in his meeting with Mr Xi.

The government has been attempting to balance its relations between China and the US, amid demands from the US president to reduce reliance on Chinese trade.

Ahead of his trip, Sir Keir told Bloomberg he would not choose between Washington and Beijing: “I’m often invited to simply choose between countries. I don’t do that,” he said.

“We’ve got very close relations with the US, of course we want to and we will maintain that business, alongside security and defence.

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“Equally, just sticking your head in the sand and ignoring China, when it’s the second biggest economy in the world and there are business opportunities, wouldn’t be sensible.”

No 10 also left the door open to a future visit to the UK by Mr Xi, whose last state visit to Britain was in October 2015.

The prime minister’s trip to China is the first by a UK premier since 2018. Sir Keir has faced calls to raise the jailing of Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai and the treatment of the Uyghur minority with the Chinese leadership.

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He said they had a “respectful discussion” on those issues and that this was “part and parcel of the reason to engage”.

Downing Street declined to be drawn on details of discussions on contentious issues, including Mr Lai, the Uyghur community, MPs sanctioned by China and Beijing’s purchase of Russian oil, which has been hit by Western sanctions in a bid to cripple its war effort in Ukraine.

His official spokesperson would not say whether Sir Keir told the Chinese president that Mr Lai should be released, but said the government’s position calling for his immediate release has not changed.

According to Mr Lai’s son, the 78-year-old British national has spent five years in solitary confinement in treatment, which amounts to “torture” under Hong Kong’s new national security law.