Trump’s Greenland gambit puts China on edge after Venezuela operation
President Donald Trump's renewed ambition to acquire Greenland has triggered significant concern in Beijing, following the recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela. Framing the move as a national security imperative to counter Russian and Chinese presence, Trump stated, "We need Greenland from a national security situation... It’s so strategic." White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed the administration is evaluating "a range of options," including potential military force.
China, which describes itself as a "near-Arctic state," has invested heavily in the region to secure resources and develop shipping routes critical to its "Polar Silk Road" initiative. A U.S. takeover of Greenland would directly threaten these strategic and commercial interests, which include rare earth minerals, uranium, and newly viable Arctic sea lanes that could halve shipping times between Asia and Europe.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian criticized Washington for "using the so-called 'China threat' as a pretext for itself to seek selfish gains." Analysts suggest Beijing would likely retaliate through multilateral diplomacy and by deepening military cooperation with Russia in the Arctic to raise the costs for the United States.
"The international community has to work together now and probably stop this kind of unilateral approach," said Henry Wang of the Center for China and Globalization.
While Chinese commercial interest in Greenland has waned in recent years due to high operational costs, geopolitical uncertainty, and blocked projects—such as a stalled rare-earth mine and a rejected airport bid—the strategic stakes remain high. Greenland is home to some of the world's largest rare-earth deposits, minerals essential for high-tech and defense industries.
Beyond resources, China views Arctic shipping routes and research stations as vital for its global navigation system, Beidou, and broader scientific and intelligence-gathering activities. A U.S.-controlled Greenland could severely restrict this access and militarize a region where China has sought to expand influence.
As one analyst noted, Beijing would frame a U.S. annexation as unilateral aggression and a violation of Danish-Greenlandic autonomy, while leveraging international forums to oppose the move. The situation places Greenland at the center of a new, frigid front in the great-power competition between Washington and Beijing.
