The incoming American president Donald Trump made clear he has ambitions in the self-governing Danish territory of Greenland, a vast and sparsely populated Arctic island to the northeast of Canada replete with highly-prized mineral and energy resources.
Trump has proposed buying Greenland from Denmark, an idea rejected by the Danish government. More recently, he suggested that Greenland is of such strategic and national security importance to the U.S. he could not rule out military intervention.
There are wrinkles in Trump’s dream, chief among them many Greenlanders’ desire for independence and strong Danish opposition. But there is another complication: significant sympathy for China, America’s preeminent contemporary rival.
While many more Greenlanders want closer ties with Washington than Beijing, a large number still view China positively. A large majority want an independent policy on China and not to follow Washington’s lead.
Newsweek emailed the Trump team’s press office for comment.
Greenlanders have been polled twice on foreign policy issues, both times by Ilisimatusarfik, the University …