Greenland is part of the United States’ immediate area, and therefore there is a lot of attention to what China is doing in Greenland, says an expert who also assesses that China will be more present in the Arctic in the future as a result of cooperation with Russia.
China, led by Xi Jinping, is building a military that can match the US military on a global scale. China already has the world’s largest navy and a powerful air force that is conducting exercises further and further away from China, including in the Arctic in 2024 together with Russia.
China with Xi Jinping
It is therefore expected that China’s presence in the Arctic will increase in the coming years, not least as a result of cooperation with Russia and the prospect of shorter and strategically attractive sea routes.
China, led by Xi Jinping, is building a military that can match the US military on a global scale. China already has the world’s largest navy and a powerful air force that is conducting exercises further and further away from China, including in the Arctic in 2024 together with Russia.
China with Xi JinpingAnnouncement
It is therefore expected that China’s presence in the Arctic will increase in the coming years, not least as a result of cooperation with Russia and the prospect of shorter and strategically attractive sea routes.
This is what Camilla T. N. Sørensen and Adam Buschard from the Danish Defence Academy write in a current report: “China as a global military superpower – military strategic perspectives for Danish defence”, where they also address Greenland’s role between the two superpowers.
China as a military superpower
There are no Chinese ships in and around Greenland today, the report states. But there is a high probability that we will encounter China around Greenland in the future. And this calls for “a strengthened cooperation between Danish defense and relevant Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese authorities as well as allies in the region”. To Sermitsiaq, Camilla T.N. Sørensen elaborates on Greenland’s role in terms of the country’s geographical location. – China has an ambition to develop into a global military superpower that can compete with the USA. And a global military superpower must be able to operate throughout the world, including the polar regions. And that is why we have started to see them in the Russian Arctic, where the Chinese coast guard has, for example, participated in some exercises with Russian aircraft, says Camilla T.N. Sørensen.
Small economy
China has strategically withdrawn from Greenland in recent years because of the United States. But the United States still sees China everywhere in the Arctic. And that is a condition that Greenland must live with.
– Greenland is part of the US’s immediate area, and therefore there is a huge amount of attention and sensitivity in relation to what China does in and around Greenland. So even though other countries trade with China, including the US itself, it is more difficult for Greenland to trade and cooperate with China.
– Another factor is that Greenland’s economy is relatively small, so even a small investment from China could potentially have a big impact. – It is important for the American administration that Greenland is in line with the United States in its view of China. And there is therefore a risk that if Greenlandic politicians continue to talk about cooperation with China, and for example say that they are open to Chinese investments, they risk creating a concern that the United States may be willing to act on, says Camilla T. N. Sørensen.
The report “China as a global military power – military strategic perspectives for Danish defense” can be read here: https://www.fak.dk
China, led by Xi Jinping, is building a military that can match the US military on a global scale. China already has the world’s largest navy and a powerful air force that is conducting exercises further and further away from China, including in the Arctic in 2024 together with Russia.
China with Xi Jinping
It is therefore expected that China’s presence in the Arctic will increase in the coming years, not least as a result of cooperation with Russia and the prospect of shorter and strategically attractive sea routes.
China, led by Xi Jinping, is building a military that can match the US military on a global scale. China already has the world’s largest navy and a powerful air force that is conducting exercises further and further away from China, including in the Arctic in 2024 together with Russia.
China with Xi JinpingAnnouncement
It is therefore expected that China’s presence in the Arctic will increase in the coming years, not least as a result of cooperation with Russia and the prospect of shorter and strategically attractive sea routes.
This is what Camilla T. N. Sørensen and Adam Buschard from the Danish Defence Academy write in a current report: “China as a global military superpower – military strategic perspectives for Danish defence”, where they also address Greenland’s role between the two superpowers.
China as a military superpower
There are no Chinese ships in and around Greenland today, the report states. But there is a high probability that we will encounter China around Greenland in the future. And this calls for “a strengthened cooperation between Danish defense and relevant Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese authorities as well as allies in the region”. To Sermitsiaq, Camilla T.N. Sørensen elaborates on Greenland’s role in terms of the country’s geographical location. – China has an ambition to develop into a global military superpower that can compete with the USA. And a global military superpower must be able to operate throughout the world, including the polar regions. And that is why we have started to see them in the Russian Arctic, where the Chinese coast guard has, for example, participated in some exercises with Russian aircraft, says Camilla T.N. Sørensen.
Small economy
China has strategically withdrawn from Greenland in recent years because of the United States. But the United States still sees China everywhere in the Arctic. And that is a condition that Greenland must live with.
– Greenland is part of the US’s immediate area, and therefore there is a huge amount of attention and sensitivity in relation to what China does in and around Greenland. So even though other countries trade with China, including the US itself, it is more difficult for Greenland to trade and cooperate with China.
– Another factor is that Greenland’s economy is relatively small, so even a small investment from China could potentially have a big impact. – It is important for the American administration that Greenland is in line with the United States in its view of China. And there is therefore a risk that if Greenlandic politicians continue to talk about cooperation with China, and for example say that they are open to Chinese investments, they risk creating a concern that the United States may be willing to act on, says Camilla T. N. Sørensen.
The report “China as a global military superpower – military strategic perspectives for Danish defense” can be read here: https://www.fak.dk