The United States and Denmark will scrutinize foreign investments in strategic sectors in Greenland to prevent Chinese companies from gaining control of key infrastructure on the island. This was stated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, citing ports as one of the main examples of potential risks.
“The agreement provides for a procedure for screening investments together with Denmark, so that one day we do not wake up and find that there is no Chinese military there, but Chinese companies own the ports“, Rubio said.
According to him, Washington views the construction and acquisition of port infrastructure by Chinese companies in various parts of the world as a potential security risk. Rubio said Beijing could eventually use such infrastructure for its navy.
His statement provided more details about the economic part of the new agreement between the United States, Denmark and Greenland, agreed last week. Reuters reported that it limits the ability of non-NATO countries to make certain sensitive investments in the island.
According to a US official quoted by the agency, the agreement allows such investments to be made by the United States and its allies, while at the same time preventing the entry of strategic competitors. Sensitive areas could include ports, telecommunications infrastructure, undersea cables and projects related to critical minerals.
The new mechanism is also important because of Greenland's significant natural resources. The island has deposits of rare earth elements and other critical raw materials that are increasingly important for the defense industry, electronics and the production of high-tech equipment.
The agreement also has a significant military dimension. The United States receives permanent rights to access, deploy forces and fly over Greenland. It is envisaged that non-NATO countries will not be able to establish military bases on the island.
Rubio said today that the US military should have at least two bases in Greenland. According to him, the existing US base could be expanded, and another facility used in the past could be restored.
One of the main tasks of the increased US presence will be missile defense. Washington sees the Arctic as a key area of focus, as the trajectory of potential ballistic missiles aimed at North America could pass through the polar region.
President Donald Trump last week hailed the agreement as a significant success for US national security. He said Washington would have the permanent ability to take necessary action to defend Greenland and the United States.
However, the agreement does not mean a transfer of sovereignty over Greenland. Danish and Greenlandic authorities emphasize that the island retains its current status and that the agreement recognizes the interests of its population.
Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and has significant powers over its own natural resources. It is its strategic location between North America and Europe, combined with rich deposits of critical minerals, that has made the island one of the important elements in the rivalry between the United States and China in the Arctic.