AFP, Shanghai

Visiting Prime Minister Keir Starmer said yesterday that Britain has a “huge amount to offer” China, after his bid to forge closer ties prompted warnings from US President Donald Trump.

The first visit to China by a British prime minister in eight years, Starmer’s trip follows in the footsteps of other Western leaders looking to counter an increasingly volatile United States.

Leaders from France, Canada and Finland have flocked to Beijing in recent weeks, recoiling from Trump’s bid to seize Greenland and tariff threats against Nato allies.

Trump warned on Thursday it was “very dangerous” for Britain to be dealing with China. Asked about the comments yesterday, Beijing’s foreign ministry said that “China is willing to strengthen cooperation with all countries in the spirit of mutual benefit and win-win results”.

Starmer met top Chinese leaders, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on Thursday, with both sides highlighting the need for closer ties.

Yesterday, Starmer told business representatives from Britain and China that both sides had “warmly engaged” and “made some real progress”.

“The UK has got a huge amount to offer,” he said in a short speech at the UK-China Business Forum at the Bank of China.

The meetings the previous day provided “just the level of engagement that we hoped for”, Starmer said.

He signed a series of agreements on Thursday.