Chief Washington correspondent for @Telegraph. Got a story? e:connor.stringer@telegraph.co.uk DM for signal

Washington via Belfast
***EXCLUSIVE*** The United States may reconsider its position on Britain's claim to the Falkland Islands if it does not increase its defence spending, @Telegraph can reveal. The extraordinary proposal is among a series of creative measures drawn up by senior Pentagon officials to incentivise Nato allies that fall short of the alliance’s 5pc spending pledge. Britain will receive “special attention” in Washington’s review of whether allies have credible plans to hit the target, a senior US official told The Telegraph. Officials believe that while Britain has the potential to be a leading defence partner, the Defence Investment Plan is not enough of a “step in the right direction”. The measure is part of a wider effort by Donald Trump’s administration to push Nato into what officials are describing as a new era of the alliance, dubbed Nato 3.0. W/ @Barnes_Joe
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Connor Stringer retweeted
AI must remain “under human control”, Xi Jinping has told Donald Trump. Speaking at the White House on Beijing’s first state visit to the US in more than a decade, the Chinese president insisted the two countries had “both the capability and responsibility to develop and manage AI for good”. @connorstringer and @poppyeh report ⤵️ telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026…
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Connor Stringer retweeted
I repeatedly asked President Xi and President Trump just now if China will release Jimmy Lai. Neither leader acknowledged the question (they did not stop for the press).
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Chaos ahead of Xi Jinping’s arrival at the White House as the travelling Chinese press corps push and shove their way into position. Lots of shouting and raised voices as they refuse to move for Secret Service. A reminder that they trampled a White House staff member during Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing.
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An example of what the travelling US press pool experienced in Beijing earlier this year. Rude and obstructive.
One of the many confrontations reported today, this time Chinese security refuse to let pool reporters rejoin the motorcade.
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Connor Stringer retweeted
Height mogged by @connorstringer at the White House Not booking him again
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Connor Stringer retweeted
🚨 UPDATE: Chinese reporters get into a brief CONFRONTATION with US Secret Service and other American reporters as they tried shoving their way into place, or refused to move out of their current position — before Xi arrived at the White House This comes after the Chinese press was PARTICULARLY aggressive towards American reporters while they were over in Beijing Ultimately Secret Service handled it. We allow so much freedom of the press that Chinese reporters think they can do whatever they want on our soil! And the left will still think Trump is suppressing the 1st Amendment! nitter.net/connorstringer/status/…
Connor Stringer
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For context - the US press is of course aggressive, but Chinese press are physically aggressive and outright refuse to listen to staff and Secret Service
Chaos ahead of Xi Jinping’s arrival at the White House as the travelling Chinese press corps push and shove their way into position. Lots of shouting and raised voices as they refuse to move for Secret Service. A reminder that they trampled a White House staff member during Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing.
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Connor Stringer retweeted
Chaos ahead of Xi Jinping’s arrival at the White House as the travelling Chinese press corps push and shove their way into position. Lots of shouting and raised voices as they refuse to move for Secret Service. A reminder that they trampled a White House staff member during Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing.
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Normal service resumes as Donald Trump welcomes Xi Jinping to the White House to begin the state visit.
Chaos ahead of Xi Jinping’s arrival at the White House as the travelling Chinese press corps push and shove their way into position. Lots of shouting and raised voices as they refuse to move for Secret Service. A reminder that they trampled a White House staff member during Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing.
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Connor Stringer retweeted
The President of Argentina is wrong to make demands over the Falkland Islands at UNGA. The Falkland Islands are British and we must stand firm in defending them and resisting any attempts at lawfare and the use of UN institutions to undermine our sovereignty and the right of self determination of the Falkland Islanders. There should be no negotiations. Our Armed Forces showed great courage, bravery and sacrifice to defend the Falkland Islands in 1982 and we must honour their memory by defending the freedoms they fought for. mol.im/a/16153777
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“Your policies here are so stupid.” Karoline Leavitt recalls President Trump’s blunt message to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a private lunch in the UK. Full episode out now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
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Connor Stringer retweeted
Exclusive in tonight’s Chagos splash: Nigel Farage repeatedly lobbied the US government over Chagos over the last week. Sources close to the Reform leader say his “high level” talks with the White House have “paid off” — as Burnham is forced to review the deal.
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BREAKING: Andy Burnham suggests he will review the Chagos deal after Trump called it "terrible". The PM tells @ChrisMasonBBC that he "inherited" the deal and will do "everything possible to find a resolution to the issue". But he does not reject the suggestion the deal is "dead" or will "change" because of Trump's comments after my question today. Burnham: "I've inherited the situation, and we need a resolution. “It's critical to safeguard the future of the base, and that matters to us for security reasons, but also clearly to the United States as well. “So what I said in the meeting is that we will work to find that resolution between the different sides, and we'll work hard to find it.”
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The Telegraph's Chief Washington Correspondent @connorstringer discusses Trump's real message to the UN. Find out the latest updates from the UN General Assembly ⤵️ telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2…
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Andy Burnham says he raised the issue of the Falklands during his first meeting with Donald Trump. As we first reported, the US had threatened to change its position of neutrality on the archipelago to incentivise Britain to spend more on defence.
***EXCLUSIVE*** Donald Trump will challenge Andy Burnham over Britain’s defence spending when the pair meet for the first time in New York on Tuesday. Britain’s commitment to Nato’s 5% spending target will be among the talking points Trump is expected to raise in their first face-to-face meeting at the UN General Assembly, @Telegraph understands. The meeting comes after Chancellor John Healey declined to commit Britain to spending three per cent of GDP on defence by 2030 in his first Budget. Defence spending has become one of Trump’s biggest concerns about Britain and Europe. Burnham, who has twice spoken to the president by phone, is expected to use the meeting to reset Downing Street’s relationship with the White House.
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Connor Stringer retweeted
NOW in New York — Trump signals he won't back Burnham's efforts to revive the Chagos deal. Asked by @Tony_Diver if he supports it, Trump says: "I think it's terrible. It was a terrible deal." Despite Trump’s opposition, the prime minister told the leader of Mauritius that he would do ‘everything possible’ to implement the deal this week.
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The front page of tomorrow’s Daily Telegraph: Burnham sends RAF to help Saudis #TomorrowsPapersToday
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If Burnham thinks he can charm Washington into backing the Chagos deal while refusing to spend more on defence or support the war in Iran, he’s in for a rude awakening. Trump doesn’t do favours for free.
NEW: Burnham told Mauritius today he would push for a “resolution” to the US block on the Chagos deal. Asked about his call with his Mauritian opposite number, Burnham tells the UN travelling pack: “I said that we remain determined to secure the long term operation of the base, which is crucial to our security and that of our allies. “The assurance I gave was I will work towards a resolution, at the moment we don't have that, but I gave an assurance that I would commit to working towards one.” The official readout from No10 earlier said Burnham “underlined his commitment to working with Mauritius and the United States on a way forward”. It comes ahead of Burnham’s meeting with Trump tomorrow. The “pressure Donald Trump to back the Chagos deal” strategy has been running for almost two years with very mixed results.
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