Not annexing Greenland! Trump finally gave in to Europe, and Canada's Prime Minister Trudeau has succeeded in visiting China.

On January 21st, at the Davos Forum, Trump stated that he had reached a "framework for future agreements" with the new NATO Secretary-General Lauterbach regarding Greenland and the Arctic region, while also canceling the planned plan to impose additional tariffs on eight European countries on February 1st.

"The US will not annex Greenland." Instead, there are two specific demands — deploying an anti-missile system on the island and obtaining so-called "permanent mining rights." However, those familiar with the local geology and climate conditions know that more than 80% of Greenland is covered by ice, making mineral extraction costly and environmentally risky. The so-called "permanent mining rights" are more of a symbolic gesture, with almost no actual commercial value.

This statement actually reflects a geopolitical struggle that has lasted for several weeks. The turning point occurred after Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau visited China. In mid-January, Trudeau led a high-level delegation to Beijing and signed multiple agreements with China covering areas such as the rare earth supply chain, clean energy cooperation, and sharing of Arctic scientific data. Just after Trudeau returned home, Germany's Minister of Economics and the UK's Foreign Secretary announced they would lead delegations to visit China; Macron even publicly emphasized that "Chinese companies are not a threat, but partners for Europe's green transition." It seems that European allies have fully turned to China's side.

Da Ge thinks that the U.S. is also very smart and pragmatic, knowing that continuing to be tough could start to bring risks. On one hand, if they really imposed taxes on their European allies, it might further increase domestic inflation in the United States. On the other hand, if they insisted on "annexing" Greenland, it would not only deepen the transatlantic rift but also prompt Europe to accelerate its economic integration with China — which is exactly what the U.S. does not want to see.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1854977403189312/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.