China extended diplomatic support to Copenhagen, saying it "fully respects Denmark's sovereignty and territorial integrity on the issue of Greenland," just days after US President Donald Trump reiterated his desire to acquire the autonomous Danish territory.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remark during a meeting on Monday with his Danish counterpart Lars Lokke Rasmussen in Beijing, according to state-run Global Times.
Wang said Beijing “hopes that Denmark will also continue to support China’s legitimate position on matters concerning China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
He said China is “ready to work with Denmark to uphold mutual openness, take green development as a key driver, and inject new momentum into practical cooperation.”
For years, the people of Greenland, with a population of about 57,000, have been working toward eventual independence from Denmark, but has no interest in becoming part of the United States.
Deeper trust and relations
Marking 75 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations, Wang also called for closer high-level engagement, deeper political trust and stronger China-Denmark relations.
From the early days of his presidency, Trump has repeatedly spoken about acquiring Greenland.
“We need Greenland for national security and even international security,” Trump said during an address to a joint session of Congress in March.
“We’re working with everybody involved to try and get it, but we need it really for international world security, and I think we’re going to get it one way or the other; we’re going to get it,” he said.
As global warming unlocks Arctic access, locals worry their self-governing homeland has become a pawn in the geopolitical struggle between the US, Russia, and China, with Trump’s push for control threatening their aspirations for independence.
