US President Donald Trump has warned that Britain’s efforts to deepen trade and investment ties with China are “very dangerous”, as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer continued his official visit to the country.
Trump made the remarks while attending the premiere of a documentary about former First Lady Melania Trump, reacting to new agreements aimed at boosting business cooperation between London and Beijing following Starmer’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“Well, it’s very dangerous for them to do that,” Trump said when asked about the UK strengthening economic relations with China.
In response, Downing Street indicated that Washington had been informed in advance about the visit and its objectives, and noted that Trump himself is expected to travel to China in April.
Trump offered no further comment on Britain specifically, but issued a similar warning to Canada, saying closer economic ties with Beijing would be “even more dangerous” for Ottawa. He added that Canada “can’t look at China as the answer”, despite describing Xi as a personal “friend” whom he knows “very well”.
His comments come after the US president reportedly threatened tariffs on Canada if it pursued economic deals with China following a recent visit to Beijing by Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Meanwhile, Starmer described the UK’s relationship with China as being in a “good, strong place” after talks with Xi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. He said the discussions had achieved the level of engagement the UK had hoped for and pointed to tangible progress in strengthening economic links.
Addressing the UK-China Business Forum, Starmer said Britain had “a huge amount to offer” and highlighted several outcomes from the trip, including visa-free travel arrangements, reduced tariffs on British whisky exports, and a £10.9 billion investment by pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca to establish manufacturing facilities in China.
Additional agreements were reached on cooperation in areas such as organised crime and illegal immigration.
According to the Department for Business and Trade, the United States remains the UK’s largest single trading partner, while China ranks fourth.
Chris Torrens, chair of the British Chamber of Commerce in China, described the visit as successful, saying it made economic sense for the UK to engage with one of its biggest markets. He noted that several Western leaders, including Trump, are expected to visit Beijing this year.
Despite the economic focus, Starmer’s trip has drawn criticism from opposition figures who argue closer ties with China could pose risks to national security and overlook human rights concerns.
China has faced international scrutiny over alleged human rights violations against Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities, as well as the treatment of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp accused Starmer of prioritising trade over security, claiming the government was willing to exchange “national security for economic crumbs off the Chinese table”.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis defended the government’s approach, saying intelligence agencies were closely involved in assessing risks and that appropriate safeguards were in place.
Starmer arrived in Shanghai on Friday, the final stop of his China visit, before heading to Japan for talks with his counterpart, Sanae Takaichi.