BEIJING, January 21. /TASS/. The United States should not use other states as justification for pursuing self-serving interests in the situation surrounding Greenland, the Chinese foreign ministry told TASS in a written comment on US President Donald Trump’s intention to acquire Greenland, allegedly to prevent the strengthening of Chinese and Russian influence in the region.
"The rights and freedoms of all countries to conduct activities in the Arctic in accordance with the law should be fully respected. The United States, in pursuing personal gain, should not use other countries as a pretext," the ministry noted, adding that the Arctic concerns the common interests of the entire international community, and Beijing’s local activities "aim to promote peace, stability and sustainable development."
"International law, based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, is the foundation of the current international order and must be strictly observed," the ministry stressed.
Situation around Greenland
Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to annex Greenland and offered to purchase the island during his first presidential term. Last year, he stated that it could be annexed. On January 4, he claimed that the United States needed control over Greenland for national security reasons. Subsequently, the White House questioned Denmark’s right to control the territory and announced that it should become part of the United States.
On January 14, Trump reiterated that the United States was determined to annex Greenland despite Denmark’s objections. Greenland is part of Denmark as an autonomous territory. In 1951, Washington and Copenhagen signed the Greenland Defense Agreement in addition to their NATO alliance obligations. Under the treaty, the US undertook to defend the island against possible aggression. Trump argued that owning the island is necessary to strengthen US national security and deploy the Golden Dome missile defense system effectively.