China's diplomacy counteracts US: Greenland and Taiwan in focus
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed "full respect" on Monday for Denmark's sovereignty and territorial integrity concerning Greenland. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen is visiting Beijing.
The Danish newspaper "Berlingske" notes that this gesture by China aims to counter the narrative of US President Donald Trump, who has made claims regarding the Danish-dependent island.
China is fully aware of the geopolitical role it can play in the context of Greenland, emphasizes the newspaper "Berlingske".
The American administration accuses China of sending ships to the Arctic and criticizes the Copenhagen government for not fulfilling its defense obligations in Greenland. China is interested in establishing new shipping routes through the increasingly ice-free Arctic and in extracting Greenland's mineral resources.
According to "Berlingske," after several years of skepticism, the new Greenlandic authorities are becoming more open to Chinese investments.
The Taiwan issue arises
Wang Yi, quoted by Reuters, also expressed hope that Denmark would continue to support the Chinese authorities' "legitimate position" on issues related to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
"Berlingske" reminds readers that China claims rights to Taiwan and the South China Sea.
Last week in Copenhagen, at a symposium organized by former Danish Prime Minister and NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen and the Community of Democracies, former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen was a guest. The Chinese Embassy criticized the visit as a "rejection of the international consensus on China's (territorial) unity." Beijing regards Taiwan as a rebellious province and does not rule out the use of force to take control of the island.
Lars Lokke Rasmussen's visit to China is connected with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
