China rejects US efforts to influence events in Greenland through other countries and emphasizes that its activities in the Arctic region are in accordance with international law. Greenland is key from the point of view of raw material reserves and geopolitics.
China said on Monday that the US should not use other countries as an excuse to advance its own interests in Greenland. At the same time, it stated that its activities in the Arctic are in accordance with international law. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AP agency.
The statement by the spokeswoman of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs was a response to a question posed by journalists at a regular press conference. “China’s activities in the Arctic are aimed at promoting peace, stability and sustainable development in the region and are in accordance with international law,” the spokeswoman replied. However, she did not specify the mentioned activities in more detail.
Geostrategic importance of Greenland
Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory with a population of 57,000, is rich in mineral resources and of important geostrategic importance. US President Donald Trump declares that the US needs Greenland for national security reasons. On Sunday, on board the presidential special, he repeated that the US will seize the island in the Arctic “one way or another”, because otherwise, according to him, Russia and China would do it.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that an American takeover of Greenland would mean the end of NATO.
The future of Greenland
On Friday, Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and the leaders of four other Greenlandic parties in parliament issued a joint statement reiterating that Greenland’s future must be decided by its people. They emphasized their “wish for the US to stop despising our country.”
In 2018, China declared itself a “near-Arctic state” in an effort to gain more influence in the region. Beijing also announced plans to build a “Polar Silk Road” as part of its global Belt and Road Initiative, which has forged economic ties with countries around the world, the AP recalls.
