Trump says Keir Starmer’s kowtowing efforts to get closer to China are ‘very dangerous’
Transatlantic tensions threaten to flare up again today after Donald Trump warned Keir Starmer’s attempt to get closer to China was ‘very dangerous’.
The US President criticized attempts to improve relations with Beijing during a landmark visit this week, in a blow to the Prime Minister.
This comes after they clashed over Mr Trump’s pledge to seize Greenland and the contribution of NATO troops to Afghanistan.
The intervention raises fresh doubts about the health of the Special Relationship and raises the prospect that Sir Keir will be forced to choose between Beijing and Washington.
But Commerce Secretary Chris Bryant, touring the broadcast studios this morning, bluntly said Mr Trump was ‘wrong’ and pointed out that the president was planning to visit China himself.
He suggested it would be ‘absolutely insane’ to follow Mr Trump’s advice and refuse to engage with China because China is a ‘great power’.
The president made the remarks while attending his wife Melania’s documentary premiere in Washington.
Sir Keir met Xi Jinping yesterday as he tries to get closer to the giant Asian economy
At the premiere of the new documentary about his wife Melania, Mr Trump was asked what he thought ‘about Britain doing business with China’ following Sir Keir’s lengthy talks with President Xi Jinping on Thursday that led to whiskey tariff cuts and visa-free travel for Brits.
Mr Trump replied: ‘It’s too dangerous for them to do that.’
He repeated his criticism of Sir Keir’s ally Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney seeking a free trade agreement with China.
“I think it’s even more dangerous for Canada to do business with China,” President Trump told reporters.
‘Canada’s situation is not good. ‘They’re in a very bad situation and you can’t look to China for the answer.’
But he added: ‘I know China very well. ‘I know President Xi is my friend.’
Asked by Sky News about the US president’s comments, Sir Chris said: ‘He also said he is a friend of President Xi (Jinping) and will visit him in April.’
Sir Chris added: ‘Of course I agree that you need to go into your relationship with China with your eyes open.
‘You must challenge China on issues where we disagree with them, but you must also face the fact that China is a great power in the world.
‘The world’s second largest economy and our fourth largest export market.
‘So it would be absolutely crazy for the UK not to engage with China.’
Sir Keir was asked as he headed to Beijing whether he was worried the trip would upset the White House.
The Prime Minister responded: ‘Our relationship with the United States is one of the closest relationships we have in defence, security, intelligence, as well as trade and many other areas.
‘We had a very successful state visit last year that led to President Trump investing hundreds of billions of pounds into each other’s economies, so it’s a very important relationship.’
Sources emphasized that the US was aware of Britain’s goals for the trip in advance.
