Alison Hart

NATO spokesperson Alison Hart said the negotiations between Denmark, Greenland and the United States will try to ensure that Russia and China do not gain economic or military footholds in Greenland.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun countered that China opposes the practice of creating something out of nothing and using China as an excuse for selfish gain.

In 2018, China published plans to add Arctic shipping routes to its Belt and Road Infrastructure Strategy.

Beijing argues that all nations have a right to conduct activities in the Arctic, and it insists that its activities promote peace, stability and sustainable development and comply with international law.

Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul.