UK should not fear trade with China – but it needs to keep risks in check

Shanghai skyline at sunrise. The UK and China could cooperate more in financial services, including the green agenda. Photograph: Wang Xiang/AP

The US is urging countries to agree new trade deals. The perceived risk is a bipolar world, where countries have to choose between the US and China. What are the implications for the UK?

In all likelihood this choice is avoidable. The global economy is so interconnected, fragmentation is more likely than a bipolar world.