Chris Bryant, UK trade minister, at the Berlin Global Dialogue in Berlin, Germany, on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. Photo: VCG

Trade Minister Sir Chris Bryant refuted US President Donald Trump's claim that doing business with China is "dangerous" for the UK, saying that it would be "absolutely bonkers" for the UK not to engage with China. 

A Chinese expert said that the recent pushbacks against the US by traditional European allies of the US, including the UK, reflect their growing recognition that Washington prioritizes its own interests above all else. This shift also underscores European countries' growing confidence in the certainty and reliability of cooperation offered by China, the expert added.

Speaking to Fox News while traveling to Florida for the premiere of first lady Melania Trump's documentary, Trump was asked about the UK "getting into business with China," Fox News reported on Friday. 

"Well, it's very dangerous for them to do that," Trump claimed, per Fox News. Trump also claimed that China was not the solution for Western economies, the report added.

But in the interview, Trump also mentioned he "knows China very well," according to the report.

Trump's claim came less than 12 hours after the meeting between the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Chinese leader. The Chinese President and visiting British Prime Minister agreed on Thursday in Beijing that the two countries should develop a long-term, consistent comprehensive strategic partnership, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

In response to Trump's "very dangerous" claims, Downing Street indicated that Washington had been aware of this trip and its objectives in advance, per BBC News.

Bryant said Trump's assessment is "wrong," added that it would be "absolutely bonkers" for the UK not to engage with China after Trump criticized Sir Keir Starmer's visit to the country, BBC reported. 

The UK has to be "clear eyed" about its relationship with China, Bryant said.

In response to a question about Trump's claims, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday that "China is ready to strengthen cooperation with all countries in the spirit of mutual benefit and win-win outcomes to benefit the peoples of all nations." 

The remark of Bryant demonstrates UK's current clear and sound strategic vision toward China, Zhao Junjie, a senior research fellow at the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday.

The counterattack by Bryant conveyed a message that the Trump administration's reckless policies have led an increasing number of its allies, including the UK, to lose confidence in the US. 

Over the past two months, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo have successively visited China, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also expressed a desire for a trip. The Gaudian noted that "Trump's tantrums push US allies closer to Beijing."

Having long been suppressed by the US, these European countries have finally recognized the essence of its unilateralism when they reached a tipping point, Zhao said, adding that these countries also began to realize that they need Chinese market and the stability and certainty provided by the country are very important. 

Wu Xinbo, director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Friday that said over the years, the US has openly and covertly obstructed normal economic and trade cooperation between China and third countries. While such attempts have mostly ended in failure. What the US should do is to take concrete steps to foster a favorable atmosphere for improving China-US relations.