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(Bloomberg) — President Donald Trump warned the UK and Canada against striking fresh business deals with China, after their leaders visited Beijing this month in an effort to deepen ties with the world’s second-largest economy.
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“It’s very dangerous for them to do that,” Trump said Thursday night, in response to a reporter’s question on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s trip this week that’s signaled a thaw in UK-China ties.
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“It’s even more dangerous for Canada to get into business with China,” Trump added, speaking in Washington at the premier of a documentary film about First Lady Melania Trump. “Canada is not doing well. They’re doing very poorly, and you can’t look at China as the answer.”
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Trump’s critique came hours after Starmer met with President Xi Jinping and made progress in securing greater access to Chinese markets for British companies.
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In Beijing on Friday, Starmer told business leaders he had “very warm” meetings with Xi that provided the hoped for “level of engagement.” Starmer hailed agreements on visa-free travel and lowering whisky tariffs as “really important access, symbolic of what we’re doing with the relationship.”
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China will relax rules for British tourists and business travelers, allowing them to enter the country visa-free for stays of fewer than 30 days, the UK government said on Thursday. The move will bring the country into line with others, such as Australia, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.
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The visit by Starmer is the first such trip by a British prime minister in eight years, and is intended to rebuild relations frayed by disputes over everything from Hong Kong to spying.
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In their meeting, Xi told Starmer that China was seeking a “long-term, stable” partnership with Britain. “I appreciate your public statement that China presents an opportunity and engagement with China is essential,” Xi said.
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Starmer’s visit follows that of Canadian leader Mark Carney, who rolled back tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles previously imposed to match US levies. That move triggered pushback from Trump, who threatened 100% tariffs on Canadian goods if the country becomes a “back door” for Chinese products.
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While Trump hasn’t followed through with the levies, his warnings highlight US allies’ risk of alienating Washington by pursuing strategic autonomy.
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Starmer has insisted the UK can work with Xi without damaging the “special relationship” with the US, even as his call for engaging with China may undermine Washington’s efforts to constrain China’s global reach.
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—With assistance from Natalie Choy.
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(Updates with more details.)
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