A DISTRACTION OR NEGOTIATING TACTIC?
China’s official response to Mr Trump’s Greenland remarks has been muted, reflecting the wait-and-see approach that President Xi Jinping has adopted more broadly with the new administration.
However, on Chinese social media, the idea has been met with humour, with some netizens joking that China should make a counteroffer for Alaska, and curiosity, as others pondered whether a Greenland invasion could give Beijing the opportunity to “reunify” with Taiwan.
The most interesting reactions are coming from Chinese scholars and commentators. Many doubted the feasibility of Mr Trump’s plan, seeing it as an offhand distraction or a negotiating tactic for more economic concessions from Denmark rather than a serious policy proposal.
Others view his proposal as reckless, with the potential of upending the geopolitical stability and economic prosperity of the entire global order.
A wildcard scenario would involve China lending rhetorical or diplomatic support for Mr Trump’s Greenland ambitions in exchange for the US relaxing its commitment to defend Taiwan. Yet this conjecture is dubious, not only because Beijing already considers Taiwan part of its sovereign territory and not up for trade, but also because it overestimates Mr Trump’s ability to single-handedly overturn US strategic posture.
