Navarro accuses UK’s China ties; insider of US administration calls him ‘crazy’: media

In response to attack of the UK's China policy by White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, British media on Sunday cited sources close to the US administration describing Navarro as "crazy" and "a dangerous influence on the president," as senior UK officials have recently stepped up efforts to pursue a policy of "pragmatic re-engagement" with China.

According to an exclusive interview published by the Daily Telegraph on Saturday, Navarro had claimed that Britain is a "compliant servant" of China, and he even claimed that the country was at risk of having its "blood sucked" dry by Beijing.

But the tariffs tsar, who has been under severe scrutiny over his trade policies, which have destabilized the US, has himself come under attack from sources close to the administration, UK media The Independent reported on Sunday, citing sources.

"Navarro is crazy and most people in the White House see him as a dangerous influence on the president," an adviser told the Independent. Downing Street has declined to comment on the latest attack, per Independent.

In his interview with British media, Navarro described the UK as "an all too compliant servant" of China because of the "string-laden gifts that China gives as a way of spreading its soft power."

The Independent described Navarro as the man who persuaded Donald Trump to unleash the hugely damaging global tariffs plan which put the US and western allies on the verge of an economic meltdown."

The current US administration launched a tariff war against global trade partners after taking office. The UK is included on the tariffs list with 10 per cent basic charges for exports to the US and 25 per cent on automobile products, per Independent.

In contrast, senior UK officials have recently advocated for pragmatic engagement with China.

British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, who visited China in January, said in April that it would be "very foolish" for the United Kingdom to disengage from China, emphasizing the importance of continued economic cooperation, according to Xinhua on April 19.

"China is the second biggest economy in the world, and it would be, I think, very foolish not to engage. That's the approach of this government," Reeves told The Telegraph in an interview.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in this February when meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that Britain is committed to developing a long-term stable, mature and strong relationship with China, and is willing to strengthen high-level exchanges with China and carry out constructive dialogue and practical cooperation in various fields.

China attaches high importance to economic and trade cooperation with the UK and is willing to work with the UK to expand mutually beneficial cooperation, support each other's economic and social development, He Yongqian, a spokesperson of China's Ministry of Commerce said in December last year, when responding to media reports about the UK plans to enhance trade and investment cooperation with China.