China Ccriticises US for Using Other Countries as Pretext Over Greenland
: China said on Monday that the United States should not use other countries as “excuses” to pursue its interests in Greenland and said its activities in the Arctic were in line with international law.
US President Donald Trump has said he wants to strike a deal to buy Greenland, the semi-autonomous region of NATO ally Denmark, to prevent a takeover by Russia or China. Tensions between Washington, Denmark and Greenland have escalated this month as Trump and his administration raised the issue and the White House considered a range of options, including military force, to seize the vast Arctic island.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that an American takeover of Greenland would signal the end of NATO. On Friday, Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and the leaders of four other parties in the regional parliament issued a joint statement reiterating that Greenland’s future should be decided by its people and emphasizing that they “want to see the United States’ disdain for our country end.”
In his statements on Air Force One on Sunday, Trump repeated his claim that the United States should “take Greenland”, otherwise Russia or China would take it. He said he would prefer to “make a deal” for the region, “but we’re going to get Greenland one way or another.”
In 2018, China declared itself a “near-Arctic state” in an attempt to gain more influence in the region. Beijing has also announced plans to build a “Polar Silk Road” as part of the global Belt and Road Initiative, which creates economic links with countries around the world.
Asked in Beijing on Monday about the US’s statements that Washington should seize Greenland to prevent China and Russia from gaining control, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning replied, “China’s activities in the Arctic are aimed at promoting peace, stability and sustainable development in the region and are in line with international law.” He did not provide detailed information about these activities.
“The rights and freedoms of all countries to operate lawfully in the Arctic must be fully respected,” Mao said, without directly mentioning Greenland. “The USA should not pursue its own interests by using other countries as an excuse.”
He said that the Arctic concerns the general interests of the international community.
Danish and Greenlandic envoys are expected to be in Washington this week for talks, and plans are also in place for US senators to visit Denmark.
