Donald Trump said it was “very dangerous” for the UK to do business with China, as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer arrived in Shanghai on the third day of his visit to the country.
The US president was reacting to agreements aimed at increasing business and investment between the UK and China, announced after Sir Keir met Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Speaking at the premiere of a documentary about his wife Melania on Thursday, Trump went on to refer to Xi as a “friend” of his and said he knew the Chinese president “very well”.
UK business minister Sir Chris Bryant said Trump was “wrong” and it would be “bonkers frankly for the UK to ignore the presence of China on the world stage”.
“Of course, we enter into our relationship with China with our eyes wide open,” he added.
The business minister also pointed out that Trump is due to visit China himself in April.
In response to Trump’s remarks, Downing Street indicated that Washington had been aware of this trip and its objectives in advance.
BBC