[By Guancha Observer Network, Shao Yun]

As the US and UK are conducting trade negotiations, Peter Navarro, President Trump's senior advisor on trade and manufacturing and a figure labeled as "extremely anti-China" by American media, gave an interview to Britain's Daily Telegraph on March 3rd, groundlessly accusing the British government of being too "compliant" towards China, even claiming that the UK is at risk of being "bled dry" by Chinese exports, attempting to drive a wedge between the UK and China.

In the report, Navarro claimed that the UK is China's "compliant servant," lacking vigilance against so-called "conditional gifts" from China. He distorted normal national trade exchanges into "blood-sucking," stating, "If the Chinese vampire cannot bleed America, it will bleed the UK and the EU." "This is a very dangerous moment in terms of the economic dependence of various countries on China," he渲染ed.

Trump had once announced last month that he would impose so-called "reciprocal tariffs" on trading partners including allies, causing market fluctuations before pausing some tariff measures. Navarro is generally considered the policy designer of the US's "reciprocal tariff." Navarro's "criticism" comes at a time when the UK and US finance ministers met in Washington last month to discuss tariff reductions.

It is known that there are differences between the US and the UK regarding import safety standards for food, automobiles, and other commodities. On March 3rd, Navarro told The Daily Telegraph that the US-UK trade agreement negotiations were "proceeding at Trump's pace, which means moving forward as quickly as possible," but he also warned that if Downing Street fails to address certain key issues, including whether to compromise on food safety standards, it will "pay a price."

"This is a political issue for the UK, not something we can solve," Navarro said. "Just know that there is a cost. If the UK or any entity in the world wants to protect its industries by significantly increasing tariffs and non-tariff barriers, the US will no longer tolerate such practices."

Local time on April 30, 2025, Washington, D.C., Navarro spoke to the press at the White House. Visual China

Bloomberg reported that UK Labour Party Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been seeking to alleviate tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. While trying to maintain relations with the US, reports pointed out that the UK Labour government is also emphasizing the positive aspects of trade with China and Europe to a large extent. Bloomberg said this strategy raised concerns that the UK might be forced to "take sides."

According to national calculations, the US is the UK's largest export market. According to official UK statistics, in 2024, the total value of goods exported from the UK to the US was approximately £58.7 billion, accounting for more than 16% of its total goods exports, covering high-value-added industries such as automobiles, whiskey, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals. The US is also the UK's main fuel supplier but has been hoping to open up more markets for its products.

The US side hopes the UK will relax requirements for the import regulation of agricultural products and automobiles, but Chancellor of the Exchequer Rees stated last month that "the UK will not lower food safety standards." Rees also said that the UK will not "retreat on road safety." This may mean that the UK will not relax the requirements for pedestrian protection performance of US sport utility vehicles (SUVs).

Another issue where the US and UK have differences is cybersecurity regulation. In 2023, the UK enacted the Online Safety Act, granting regulatory agencies the power to impose huge fines and, in extreme cases, ban social media platforms that do not comply with regulations, which sparked strong opposition from US technology companies.

On the China issue, the new UK government also has a different policy route compared to Trump. After the Starmer government came to power last year, the UK Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer successively visited China, conveying the intention to improve relations. In January, Rees visited Beijing and jointly restarted the Sino-British Economic and Financial Dialogue, which had been suspended for six years. It was noted that Rees mentioned "pragmatism" four times in his closing remarks and hoped to develop a "pragmatic and predictable" relationship with China.

Reuters earlier quoted four sources saying that the UK government has reduced the intensity of reviewing Sino-British relations, meaning that the UK may reduce criticism of China. As for why such a shift is happening, sources said it is related to Starmer's plan to promote UK economic growth. Starmer said although he is concerned about the "challenges" brought by China, "engaging and cooperating where necessary is very important."

China is the UK's largest trading partner in Asia, and Sino-British trade volumes have exceeded $100 billion annually in recent years. The UK is also China's third-largest trading partner in Europe, second-largest investment destination, and third-largest source of foreign investment. Data shows that in the first half of 2024, bilateral trade between China and the UK reached $46.77 billion, including $37.24 billion in Chinese exports to the UK and $9.53 billion in imports from the UK.

According to Bloomberg, Rees previously indicated that the UK "is not in a hurry" to reach a trade agreement with the US. She frankly admitted that improving trade arrangements with other economies is also a priority for the UK government, specifically mentioning the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

On April 24th, Rees said at an event in Washington that Trump's so-called "global trade imbalance challenge" exists, but she does not agree with imposing tariffs. "I support multilateral institutions and dialogue rather than tariffs. No one wants a trade war."

Recently, Ambassador Zheng Zeguang wrote an article in Hong Kong's South China Morning Post pointing out that appeasement and compromise only embolden bullies. Only by firmly opposing them can bullies change their ways. "The UK has long advocated free and open trade; we hope the UK chooses to stand on the right side of history and on the side of multilateralism and international cooperation on this major principle issue."

This article is an exclusive piece by the Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7500778996573995560/

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