Keir Starmer brushes off Donald Trump’s ‘very harmful’ China outburst with one key level
Keir Starmer highlighted Donald Trump’s own planned visit to Beijing after the US President was invited by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of 2025
Keir Starmer brushed off the US President’s comments (Image: Getty Images)
Keir Starmer has brushed off Donald Trump’s latest outburst after the US President blasted the UK’s “very dangerous” efforts to seek closer ties with China.
The Prime Minister highlighted Mr Trump’s own planned visit to Beijing after being invited by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of 2025. Mr Starmer also insisted the UK cannot refuse to engage with China after he met with Mr Jinping on Thursday and agreed to deepen their alliance in talks that lasted nearly three hours.
But Mr Trump waded in overnight to criticise the visit – the first of a British Prime Minister since 2018 – as he spoke to reporters during the premier of his wife Melania’s new film. Asked for his views on the UK getting into business with China, 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.
“Canada is not doing well, they’re doing very poorly, and you can’t look at China as the answer. I know China very well. I know President Xi is a friend of mine. I know him very well. But that’s a big hurdle to go over…. First thing they are going to do is say you’re not allowed to play ice hockey any more. That’s not good.”
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Speaking in Shanghai on Friday, Mr Starmer told reporters: “President Trump’s comments, which I have seen, look to me as if they are directed more (towards) the Canadians than us.” He also insisted in several interviews: “I think I’m right in saying that President Trump himself is expected to visit China in April.”
Told the UK was mentioned specifically by the President, the PM told the BBC : “We have traded with China for a long time now. This visit is about opening it up, giving the confidence and the certainty that business needs to enhance that relationship and that will mean a huge amount of wealth creation back in the United Kingdom and jobs back in the United Kingdom.”
He added: “Whenever I am on an international trip I keep firmly in mind that the single most important issue for your viewers back at home is the cost of living so we are delivering that for people at home and given China is the second biggest economy in the world, and our third biggest trading partner if you take Hong Kong as well so it foolhardy to sit with your head in the sand and refuse to engage.”
Earlier the UK trade minister Sir Chris Bryant said it would be “absolutely bonkers” for the UK not to engage with China.
Asked if the US president’s comments were wrong, Sir Chris 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.”
