Trump’s Greenland gambit puts China on edge after Venezuela operation

US President Donald Trump’s new threat to seize control of Greenland following Washington’s military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has caused alarm in Beijing.

Trump, who has long defended U.S. control over the self-governing Danish territory, repeatedly emphasized Sunday that Greenland is strategically important.

Trump told reporters, “We need Greenland for national security. It is very strategic. Right now, every part of Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships.” on Air Force One.

One Email to Chinese state media Xinhua News Agency: White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Trump sees purchasing Greenland as a national security priority to deter his rivals in the Arctic. He added that his team was considering a number of options, including the possibility of using military force.

Chinese officials pushed back. On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian criticized Washington for “using the so-called ‘China threat’ as an excuse to pursue selfish interests.”

China has defined itself as a “near-Arctic state”. Official Arctic Policy 2018It asserts its right to exploit resources in the Arctic and develop shipping routes.

State-linked Chinese firms have also invested heavily in Arctic energy projects and developed sea routes that could shorten shipping times between Asia and Europe.

“China will push back hard against any U.S. move to seize control of Greenland, given Beijing’s commercial interests on the island – from resource exploration to security of Arctic shipping lanes,” said Xinbo Wu, director of the Center for American Studies at Shanghai-based Fudan University.

US Department of Defense identified China and Russia as main rivals It points out that increasing military capabilities and joint maritime patrols in the region are risks to national security.

Wu said Beijing may seek to increase costs for Washington through multilateral diplomacy and deepen military cooperation with Russia in the Arctic region to deter the United States.

“We’re really entering uncharted territory and we have to be extremely careful,” said Henry Wang, founder and president of the Center on China and Globalization, a think tank that generally aligns with Beijing’s thinking.

“The international community must now work together and possibly put an end to such unilateral approaches.”

Beijing’s core interests in Greenland align with those of the United States: Eurasia Group China director Dan Wang said that rare earth elements, uranium and zinc were found.

Greenland, a large and sparsely populated autonomous Danish territory, is home to several large deposits of rare earth elements and ranks among some of the minerals discovered. among the largest in the world. These minerals are vital for high-tech industries, from electric vehicles to defense equipment.

Besides the USA and China European Union it also sought to secure access to these critical mineral resources.

Amid increasing geopolitical uncertainty, Chinese investors have become “much more cautious” about Greenland in recent years, said Patrik Andersson, analyst at the Swedish National China Center at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs.

Denmark retains the legal authority to block foreign investment on national security grounds.

In 2016, a firm with Hong Kong ties attempted to buy a former Danish naval base and associated port facilities, prompting Copenhagen to block the sale. A Chinese state-owned firm also withdrew its bid for an airport construction contract worth 3.6 billion Danish kroner ($563 million) in 2019 after Greenland chose Denmark over Beijing to finance the project.

Andersson noted that in some cases Chinese interest in Greenlandic mines already appeared to have diminished before the recent increase in geopolitical risk, partly due to the high costs of operating in Greenland.

“From a business perspective, Chinese investors may see more attractive opportunities elsewhere,” he added.

Some Chinese-backed projects in Greenland have also stalled due to environmental concerns.

Chinese state-owned company Shenghe Resources bought shares Kvanefjeld project in the southErn Greenland in 2016. The project, which was planned to be one of the largest rare earth and uranium mines in the world, was stopped after Greenland. reinstated the ban About uranium mining in 2021.

While some analysts estimate China’s investments in the Arctic at over $90 billion and describe them as “unrestricted,” Harvard University’s Kennedy School said the figures are “highly exaggerated” because they include failed investments and unbuilt projects.

Accordingly Harvard’s estimates In June 2025, most Chinese-backed mining, oil and gas resource projects in Greenland were paused or canceled.

Despite all these negativities, Greenland Opened its representative office in Beijing in 2023 As the Arctic nation seeks to deepen its ties with Beijing.

China is eyeing the opening of new shipping routes as melting ice opens up shorter routes between Asia and Europe. China’s exports to the European Union, the second largest trade bloc, grew by 8.1% annually In the first eleven months of 2025.

Beijing officially introduced the “Polar Silk Road” in its 2018 Arctic policy white paper and First Arctic shipping route to Europe In September 2025, transit times were reduced to approximately 20 days; this was roughly half the time required for a trip Suez Canal.

Zoha Fatima, a researcher focusing on Arctic governance and geopolitics, said the alternative sea route not only offers “tremendous economic opportunities” for Beijing through faster trade and access to untapped natural resources, but also presents a “strategic challenge to U.S. dominance of global sea lanes.”

China has also expanded its Arctic exploration efforts over the years, supporting discoveries on the composition of sea ice, space weather and marine life.

Building on existing projects in Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Finland, China also I planned a research and a satellite ground station in Greenland.

These facilities are vital for China’s Beidou navigation satellite system, which was developed as an alternative to the US GPS system.

China’s polar research programs have raised security concerns in the Arctic. Biden administration in 2022 he suggested that China has used its scientific work to conduct “dual-use research with intelligence or military applications.”

“If Trump takes Greenland, Beijing would frame it as US unilateralism and North Atlantic militarization, emphasizing respect for Danish-Greenlandic autonomy and UN-based rules,” Eurasia’s Wang said.

— CNBC’s Evelyn Cheng and Emily Tan contributed to this story.