China’s envoy to Denmark lashes out at ‘unprovoked attacks’ from US over Greenland

Feng Tie says American ambassador was ‘speaking absurdities’ when she criticised China for ‘calling itself an Arctic state’

Carla Sands also accused Beijing of advancing ‘predatory economic interests’ in the region

Reading Time:2 minutes

China’s ambassador to Denmark Feng Tie was responding to claims by the US envoy. Photo: Handout

Published: 10:00pm, 14 May 2020Updated: 12:38am, 15 May 2020

China’s envoy to Denmark has hit back at claims from the United States about Beijing’s involvement in Greenland, calling them “absurdities”.

Ambassador Feng Tie’s remarks highlight yet another area of rising US-China tensions, which have intensified as they trade barbs over the Covid-19 pandemic. The rivalry has seen the US boosting its presence in Greenland to counter China’s influence in the Arctic.

In an opinion piece in Danish-language newspaper Altinget on Wednesday, Feng accused US ambassador to Denmark Carla Sands of launching “unprovoked attacks” on China.

He was responding to a piece by Sands in the same newspaper on April 20, in which she claimed China was advancing “predatory economic interests and [projecting] its authoritarian values” in Arctic regions like Greenland, an autonomous island in the North Atlantic that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

US ambassador to Denmark Carla Sands said China was advancing “predatory economic interests”. Photo: Ritzau Scanpix via AFP

The exchange over China’s role in the Arctic was fuelled by an apparent translation error between Danish and English.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x