BEIJING, Jan 21 (Reuters) - China rejected speculation on Wednesday that it would compete for influence in the West as a U.S. bid to take control of Greenland threatens to reshape the power dynamics of a decades-old transatlantic security alliance.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s ambition to wrest sovereignty over Greenland from Denmark has rattled NATO members and prompted a rethink of Europe’s traditional security dependence on the United States.
Asked if Beijing welcomed the “chaos” over Greenland, Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry, told a regular news briefing, “We have no intention of competing for influence with any country, nor would we ever do so.”
Trump has also threatened to rain trade tariffs on Europe if it resists his demand to acquire the Arctic island.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, cautioned that transatlantic tariffs would play into the hands of China and Russia, both of which would benefit from “divisions among allies”.
“We engage in friendly exchanges with all nations on the basis of mutual respect and equality, and remain committed to being a positive, stabilising and constructive force,” Guo said.
Yet Chinese state media did not hold back comments this week, urging Europe to reassess its dependence on the United States for security.
Europe has grown excessively dependent on the United States while sidelining cooperation with partners such as China and Russia, the Global Times tabloid backed by the ruling Communist Party said in an editorial.
“The situation underscores the necessity for Europe to review the nature of transatlantic relations and reduce its reliance on the United States as a pillar of support for its security,” an editorial in the state-run China Daily added.
The Greenland crisis is a call for Europe to bolster strategic autonomy and diversify partnerships, it said.
“By doing so, Europe can ensure that its future is not dictated by the diktats of a bully, but is instead shaped by its collective interests.”
(Reporting by Liz Lee and Ryan Woo; Editing by Tom Hogue and Clarence Fernandez)
