Britain’s Trade Minister just rejected the idea that the UK has to choose between the US, EU, and China
The UK’s Trade Minister Sir Chris Bryant has declared that Britain does not face an inevitable choice between deepening ties with its major trading partners: the European Union, the United States, and China.
Delivering a speech at the Chatham House Global Trade Conference in London on Thursday (19 March), Bryant took direct aim at the session’s title, “Britain walking the trade tightrope”, which he argued wrongly implied the UK must perform a precarious balancing act or risk alienating one major power by engaging with another.
“I don’t think we have to choose between the competing demands of different trading partners,” Bryant said. “The EU is our biggest trading partner. The US is our biggest single country for exports and imports. And I defy anyone in the room to spend an hour today without any Chinese product.”
The minister’s comments come amid heightened global trade tensions, including protectionist pressures from major economies, ongoing concerns over supply chain vulnerabilities, and debates about economic security in an era of great-power competition.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government has repeatedly signalled a pragmatic, multi-vector approach to international relations, seeking closer alignment with the EU post-Brexit while maintaining the “special relationship” with the US and pursuing economic opportunities with China, despite security concerns.
Bryant dismissed characterisations of UK trade policy as a “high-wire act” or a “narrow strait between an American and a Chinese ship,” insisting that strong relationships across all three are not mutually exclusive but essential.
He highlighted the interconnected nature of modern supply chains, noting that British components feature prominently in European Airbus aircraft and that everyday life in the UK relies on global imports.
The speech emphasised a commitment to “free and fair trade” as the UK’s core guiding principle, rooted in historical strengths like the medieval wool trade and the nation’s long-standing role as an open, trading economy.
Bryant stressed that the UK must maintain a “low centre of gravity” by adhering to values like openness while addressing distortions such as subsidies, dumping, and modern slavery.
The minister’s remarks align with broader Labour government messaging. Earlier this year, Starmer himself stated that ignoring China would be economically unwise, even as the UK prioritises national security and alliances with the US and NATO partners.
