Containing Rare Earth, Oil and Gas Deposits, Trump Wants to Buy Greenland

Greenland is the autonomous territory belonging to Denmark contains rich natural resources such as rare earth, oil and gas mineral reserves that have not yet been explored, attracting the attention of the superpowers such as China and the US. Trump allegedly intends to buy it, although it has been rejected by Denmark, it also highlights the increasingly important value of the world's largest island.

Global warming has led to the accelerated melting of polar sea ice, making it now the main channel in the region and a hot spot for geopolitical competition in superpowers.

A Chinese state-owned company participated in the construction bidding for the expansion of three civil airports in Greenland last year. However, it was jointly blocked by Denmark and the US. They worried that China would expand its influence on the Arctic Circle through infrastructure investment. In the end, Chinese companies abandoned bids, the airport expansion was funded by Denmark, and the US Department of Defense promised to participate in airport infrastructure construction.

Conley, an expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Think tanks based in Washington, D.C., pointed out that Trump's island purchase proposal was "not serious", but showed that his government began to realize the geopolitical importance of the Arctic.

Greenland plays a role in the defense of the US. In 1943, the US built the Tulle Air Force Base on its northwest coast, and later became the northernmost base of the US military. During the Cold War, the base was the first line of defense for the US military to prevent Soviet attacks. It is currently stationed in the US 12th Space Early Warning Squadron, Satellite Monitoring, and Missile Detection System.

Caffi, a staff of US think tank “traditional foundation”, pointed out: “The radar warning system in northern Greenland helps protect North America and is a key part of our missile defense system.”

Conley said that the Cold War came to an end in the 1990s and Washington began to forget the Arctic Circle. Nowadays, as the polar sea ice gradually melts, Russia and China are gradually becoming active in the Arctic.

When US Secretary of State Pompeo gave a speech in Finland in May, he criticized China and Russia for "being aggressive in the Arctic." He said that the region has become a new battlefield for international wrestling and competition due to its rich oil and gas, rare earth minerals and fishery resources.

However, Washington has not actively taken action yet. Pompeo has only proposed to station a diplomat in Nuuk, and stay in the country for six months each year.

China has no territorial claims against the Arctic, but the potential commercial value of the Arctic route has attracted China to join the ranks of the eight Arctic countries. China has sent a scientific mission to the North Pole since 2004.

Greenland shines brightly in the rare earth spotlight, attracting the attention of Trump. The melting of ice brings new economic opportunities, but it also brings new challenges.

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