US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that it was very dangerous for the UK to trade with China and “it is even more dangerous for Canada to trade with China”.
Trump said this in response to a reporter’s question about British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s trip this week, which signals a thaw in relations between Britain and China.
Speaking at the premiere of a documentary on first lady Melania Trump in Washington, Trump said: “Canada is not doing well. It’s very bad and you can’t look to China as the answer.”
However, the US president called Chinese President Xi Jinping a “friend” but said: “It’s a big hurdle to overcome when you get Canada”.
Starmer in China
Trump’s criticism came hours after Starmer met President Xi Jinping and made progress on securing better access for British companies to Chinese markets.
In Beijing, Starmer told business leaders he had “very warm” meetings with Xi, which gave hope for a “level of engagement,” Reuters reported.
“We’ve engaged warmly and we’ve made some real progress because the UK has a lot to offer,” Starmer said.
Starmer welcomed the visa-free agreements and whiskey tariff cuts as “a really important approach, symbolic of what we’re doing in the relationship”.
“This is how we build mutual trust and respect, which is so important,” Starmer told the event attended by British and Chinese businessmen.
Starmer’s visit follows that of Canadian leader Mark Carney, who scrapped tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles that had previously been put in place to match US levies.
The move drew a backlash from Trump, who threatened 100% tariffs on Canadian goods if the country becomes a “backdoor” for Chinese products.
