By drawing a parallel between U.S. interest in Greenland and its stance on Taiwan, China has mounted a carefully calibrated rhetorical response that highlights perceived inconsistencies in American positions on sovereignty, positions itself as a defender of international norms, and gently tests the cohesion of Western alliances.

Greenland believes its ticket to prosperity is the wealth of minerals and rare earths below its slopes. Jonas Parello-Plesner discusses the potential for China’s investment to turn Greenland into a successful resource economy.