Greenland Courts China in Snub to Trump

Greenland's foreign minister has said it is seeking deeper cooperation with China and potentially a free trade agreement, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

Why It Matters

The comments were made as U.S. President Donald Trump and his allies have continued to talk of acquiring the resource-rich and strategically-located island. Greenland held elections in March with a new government led by Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen of the Democrats.

Trump has said the United States needs Greenland for global security reasons at a time of increasing competition with China.

The comments were made to Xinhua in late March by Vivian Motzfeldt, Greenland's Minister for Independency and Foreign Affairs.

The Greenland government did not respond to a request for comment. The U.S. State Department declined to comment.

What To Know

"China is very important to us, and we are eager to strengthen our cooperation," Motzfeldt told Xinhua.

Motzfeldt said she had made a memorable trip to China in 2023 and noted that China was already one of Greenland's largest markets for seafood exports. Motzfeldt formally opened Greenland's representative office in Beijing in 2023 within the Danish embassy.

Recent ideas of the U.S. acquiring Greenland were first floated during Trump's presidency in 2019, when administration officials approached Greenlandic leaders with promises of billions of dollars in investment.

But American interest in Greenland dates back more than a century.

In a testimony to Congress in February, Alexander B. Gray, a Senior Fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington and a senior security official in President Trump's first administration said, "The security stakes are simply too high to allow Greenland to obtain independence without a plan in place for the U.S. to ensure our core strategic interests are assured."

What We Know

The growing relationship with China may serve as a counterweight to mounting U.S. interest. A modern offer from the U.S. to buy Greenland could exceed $2.2 billion according to some estimates.

Greenland, home to around 56,000 people, has strategic importance due to its location in the Arctic, significant reserves of rare earth minerals, and the presence of Pituffik Space Base – formerly Thule Air Base. Although Denmark oversees foreign and defense policy, Greenland has steadily expanded its self-rule since gaining home rule in 1979.

What People Are Saying

Aqqalu Jerimiassen, chairman of the Atassut party and a member of the Greenlandic Parliament, quoted by Xinhua: "I've been to Beijing, Guangzhou and several other cities... I was very impressed during my visit to China. I was particularly interested in how we can build good cooperation with Chinese enterprises and authorities."

President Donald Trump: "We'll get Greenland. Yeah, 100 percent."

China Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian: "On the issue of Greenland, China always believes that relations between countries should be handled in accordance with the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter."

What's Next

Greenlandic leaders have consistently rejected Trump's ambitions, but any closer ties to China could reinforce his security argument for the United States playing a bigger role in the territory if not controlling it.

Updated on Apr. 28, 02:00 ET, to reflect the Greenland government did not respond to a request for comment and the U.S. State Department declined to comment