China slams US claims of threat to Greenland – Firstpost

China on Monday slammed the United States for suggesting Beijing poses a threat to Greenland, calling the claim a “pretext for seeking selfish gains.”

“We urge the US to stop using the so-called ‘China threat’ as a pretext for seeking selfish gains,” CCTV quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun as saying during a news briefing in Beijing.

The remarks follow a social media post by US President Donald Trump on Saturday, in which he argued that the United States needed control of Greenland to counter Chinese and Russian influence in the Arctic and to develop what he called the Golden Dome, a system aimed at protecting North America from ballistic missiles.

“China has stated its position on multiple occasions on Greenland. The international law underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter is the foundation of the current international order and must be upheld,” Guo added.

Russia, meanwhile, has bridled at Trump’s suggestion that Moscow poses a threat to Greenland – part of his rationale for wanting US control of the island – while avoiding mentioning his name in its criticism.

The foreign ministry said last week it was unacceptable for the West to continue accusing Russia and China of being a threat to Greenland.

With inputs from agencies