UK's Starmer refutes choosing between the U.S. and China ahead of Beijing visit

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he will not be forced to choose between the U.S. and China. Starmer said he will maintain close relations with the U.S. but added that the UK will also not ignore China. The comments come ahead of his planned visit to Beijing.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he will not find himself in a position where he has to choose between China and the U.S. He highlighted that the UK will continue to maintain close ties with the U.S. on security, business, and defense.

However, he argued that “sticking your head in the sand and ignoring China” would not make sense. The comments come amid his planned visit to China, the first by a UK Prime Minister in eight years.

Starmer believes relations with China will create opportunities for UK companies

During an interview, Starmer said his planned state visit to China could create “significant opportunities” for enterprises in the British jurisdiction. The official is expected to travel with several business leaders in the UK, with stopovers in Shanghai and Beijing. He highlighted that initiating relations with China “does not mean compromising on national security – quite the opposite.”

The trip is part of the UK’s efforts to strengthen relations with China and comes just a few days after the UK government gave China a controversial green light to establish a new Chinese embassy in London. The decision was reached despite emerging concerns from the opposition that China could use the embassy for spying on the UK. 

The tightening relations between the UK and China come at a time when tensions have peaked between the U.S. and its allies. Cryptopolitan recently reported that Trump threatened to impose additional tariffs on allies opposing Greenland’s acquisition.

The report noted that Trump laid out his position bluntly. “I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security.” 

Tensions between the EU, the UK, and the U.S. over Greenland have seemingly subsided after Trump said he wouldn’t use force to acquire Greenland. The U.S. President said, while speaking at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, that America was “seeking immediate negotiations” to acquire Greenland without using force.

Trump threatens Canada with 100% tariffs due to its close relations with China

The PM’s trip could worsen relations between Britain and the U.S. More recently, Trump threatened to impose a 100% tariff on Canada if the country reached a trade deal with the Chinese government.

The threat came after Canada’s Prime Minister Carney said Canada and China had reached a “strategic partnership” deal that will reduce tariffs. At the time, Trump had termed the deal as a “good thing.” However, tensions between the U.S. and Canada escalated after Carney said in a Davos speech that the U.S. world order had been disrupted.

The agreement between China and Canada is what Canada’s U.S. trade minister, Dominic LeBlanc, termed a “resolution on several important tariff issues.” The agreement mandated that China would reduce levies on Canadian canola oil from 85% to 15% by March. On the other hand, Canada will reduce taxes on Chinese EVs from 100% to 6.1%.

Trump has also threatened to raise tariffs on South Korean goods, including automobiles, lumber, and pharmaceuticals. The president accused South Korea of failing to live up to a trade deal struck last year, prompting a 10% increase from 15% to 25%.

The announcement sent shockwaves in the Asian country’s stock market, sending carmakers tumbling. South Korea responded by urging Trump to reaffirm its commitment to the deal. Trump and President Lee Jae Myung agreed last July for Seoul to invest $350 billion in the U.S.

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