US PRESIDENT Donald Trump said on Thursday that it was “very dangerous” for close ally Britain to deal with China, as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Beijing for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters at the premiere of a documentary about his wife, First Lady Melania Trump.
Asked about Britain “getting into business” with China, Trump said: “Well it’s very dangerous for them to do that.”
China’s foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun responded on Friday, saying: “China is willing to strengthen cooperation with all countries in the spirit of mutual benefit and win-win results.”
Starmer’s visit is the first by a British prime minister since 2018. It comes amid recent visits by several Western leaders to Beijing, as governments seek closer engagement with China.
On Thursday, Starmer met Xi and other Chinese officials and signed several cooperation agreements.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also visited China earlier this month and reached agreements on trade and tourism.
Trump responded by threatening to impose 100 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports if Carney made further deals with Beijing, a threat Carney later dismissed as a negotiating tactic.
After commenting on Britain, Trump added: “It’s even more dangerous, I think, for Canada to get into business with China. Canada is not doing well. They’re doing very poorly, and you can’t look at China as the answer.”
(With inputs from agencies)
