China failed its Arctic ambitions in Greenland

Currently, the only direct Chinese presence in Greenland is of migrant workers in the fishing industry, according to Mariia Simonsen, the spokesperson on foreign and security matters within the party Inuit Ataqatigiit. And their total number is estimated to be around 50 individuals working in factories along Greenland’s west coast, said Rasmus Leander Nielsen, the head of Nuuk’s NASIFFIK Center for Foreign and Security Policy and an assistant professor at the University of Greenland.

As for China’s involvement in mining and infrastructure projects in the island country, such as the Kuannersuit uranium mining project and the Isua iron ore project, they’ve all been put on hold or terminated at the preliminary stage.

“Overtime we have seen several mining projects that had Chinese involvement, but more U.S. interests in Greenland have kind of phased China out,” Nielsen said. He also acknowledged international concerns about the country securing a near monopoly on rare earth minerals in general, and cautioned against dependency.

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