Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a veiled swipe at U.S. President Donald Trump during a visit to Beijing by the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is attempting a major reset in relations with China.
According to a readout from Mao Ning, spokeswoman for the Chinese foreign ministry, Xi told Starmer during their meeting that “unilateralism, protectionism and power politics are running rampant.”
“The international order is under great strain,” Xi said, per Mao. “International law can be truly effective only when all countries abide by it. Major countries in particular should set an example, otherwise the world will revert to the law of the jungle.”
Trump has upended the world order and is pulling the U.S. back from multilateral institutions, instead using hard American power to achieve his administration’s goals, as seen by the dramatic military raid to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro from Caracas, his aggressive pursuit of Greenland from NATO ally Denmark, and punitive import tariffs as a negotiating tool.
Traditional U.S. allies, questioning the reliability of their future partnerships with Washington, have responded in part by seeking to heal and deepen ties with China, America’s great power rival. The U.K. is the latest in a series of visits by U.S. allies to Beijing, including Canada and France. The European Union has also emphasized the need to build greater ties to China.
“Both China and the U.K. support multilateralism and free trade,” Xi told Starmer, per Mao. “We should jointly advocate and practice true multilateralism, make the global governance system more just and equitable, and work to build an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.”
Starmer has rejected the idea that the U.K. must choose between the U.S. and China.
This is a developing article. Updates to follow.
In a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. At Newsweek, ours is different: The Courageous Center—it’s not “both sides,” it’s sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.
When you become a Newsweek Member, you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations. Help keep the center courageous. Join today.
