U.S. President Donald Trump has warned Britain that closer economic ties with China are “very dangerous,” as Prime Minister Keir Starmer highlighted what he called real progress in resetting relations with Beijing during a high-profile visit this week.
Speaking in Washington, Trump criticized Britain’s engagement with China when asked about Starmer’s trip, offering no further details. His comments came as Western allies continue to navigate Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy, including threats of tariffs and repeated remarks about taking control of Greenland, which have unsettled long-standing partners.
Starmer, the first British prime minister to visit China since 2018, held three hours of talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday. He called for a “more sophisticated relationship,” seeking improved market access, lower tariffs and greater investment, while also touching on cultural ties such as football and Shakespeare.
Addressing the UK-China Business Forum in Beijing, Starmer said his meetings with Xi had been “very warm” and had delivered “real progress.” He pointed to agreements on visa-free travel and reduced tariffs on British whisky as key achievements, describing them as both economically important and symbolically significant.
The visit is part of a broader effort by Starmer’s center-left Labor government to revive economic growth by improving relations with the world’s second-largest economy. During the trip, Starmer also met Chinese business leaders, including the chief executive of carmaker Chery, which plans to open a research and development centre for its commercial vehicle arm in Liverpool.
Despite Trump’s warning, Starmer stressed that Britain was not choosing between the United States and China. He underlined the depth of the UK’s relationship with Washington, citing close cooperation on defense, security, intelligence and trade, and noted Trump’s visit to Britain last September, which unveiled £150 billion in U.S. investment.
A British government official said Washington had been given advance notice of the objectives of the China trip, reflecting the sensitivity of the issue. While Starmer has typically avoided public criticism of Trump, he has taken a firmer stance in recent weeks, urging the U.S. president to apologize for comments about NATO troops and rejecting demands related to Greenland.
Skepticism about the benefits of closer UK-China ties remains strong in Washington. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said it was unlikely Britain would find China an easy export market, describing Chinese trade practices as difficult. However, he played down the prospect of tariffs on Britain, saying such measures were unlikely unless London took a confrontational stance toward the United States.
