Starmer’s Trump problem is not his EU Brexit reset but cosying up to China News analysis: Donald Trump’s administration may have a dislike of the EU but it has a pathological hatred of China and already Starmer’s decision to cosy up to Beijing is setting off alarm bells in Washington.
The big issue - repeated by every Trump adviser privately - was “Mandelson is pro China” or “we don’t like his China links”.
The apparent push to allow China to have a huge new embassy building in London, the failure to tackle the rights of Hong Kong’s citizens properly, the apparent willingness for China to have access to universities and copyright are all concerns.
An alien with no preconceptions dropped into Washington DC for the party atmosphere among MAGA Republican Trump supporters during the inauguration may initially have thought that all was positive with their view of China.
Even without Trump’s anger, cosying up to China is going to be politically problematic for Starmer.
