US President Donald Trump has warned that it was "very dangerous" for its ally, Britain, to do business with China. His remarks come as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits Beijing for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
While attending the premiere of a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump, his wife, reporters asked for his reaction to Britain "getting into business" with China. Trump responded by saying, "Well, it's very dangerous for them to do that."
Western leaders are increasingly pursuing closer ties with China amid concerns over US unpredictability. In a related development, a British prime minister has visited China for the first time in eight years.
Starmer met with Xi and other Chinese officials and signed cooperation agreements.
Referring to Trump's opposition to Britain's deal with China, Starmer said that it is not wise for the UK to "stick its head in the sand". He told Sky News, "China is the second biggest economy in the world. Along with Hong Kong, it's our third-biggest trading partner. And through this visit, we've opened up lots of opportunities for jobs and wealth creation."
Beijing's foreign ministry replied to Trump's comments by saying, "China is willing to strengthen cooperation with all countries in the spirit of mutual benefit and win-win results."
When Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited China this month for trade and tourism agreements, Trump threatened to hit imports from Canada with 100 per cent tariffs.
After his remarks on Britain, Trump had also said, "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."
Starmer will continue his Asia trip with a brief stop in Japan on Saturday to meet Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
(With inputs from agencies)
