If Canada and Greenland form an economic union

On December 21, Trump appointed Jeff Landry, the governor of Louisiana, as the U.S. special envoy to Greenland. Jeff had posted earlier this year that "We need to ensure Greenland joins the United States. It would be good for them and good for us! Let's make it happen!" Canadians living next to Greenland are not without their own thoughts about the world's largest island. Bart Édes, a professor at the Institute for International Development at McGill University, proposed that Canada and a future independent Greenland form an economic union, saying "Once the economic union is successful, we can explore the possibility of establishing a complete political union," forming a "federal state," that is, a new Great Canada.

This year, Bart Édes, author of the book "Using Strategic Foresight to Deal with the Next Major Change," wrote in The Globe and Mail that "Washington is engaged in geopolitical rivalry with Copenhagen over Greenland's future," when Greenland's Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede declared it was time to "break free from the chains of colonialism." His call for independence has strong support among Greenlanders. Once independent, Greenland will be at a crossroads: this vast but sparsely populated country, which has long relied on distant Danish subsidies, where should it go next?

Bart Édes is also a distinguished researcher at the Canadian Asia-Pacific Foundation, a renowned think tank. He gave straightforward advice to Greenland: establish an economic union with Canada.

He argues that this alliance, composed of friendly Arctic democratic nations, is logically based on intertwined histories, geographical proximity, complementary advantages, and common ethnic ties. Canadians would not appear in Greenland as conquerors, but rather follow the model of the Benelux Economic Union to build a partnership.

The so-called common ethnic ties refer to the fact that the majority of Greenland's population migrated from today's northern Canada. The ancestors of the Inuit, the Thule people, arrived in Greenland in the 13th century. In Canada's Nunavut region, which borders Greenland, more than four-fifths of the population are also Inuit. Both regions' Inuit survive by hunting and fishing in harsh environments, sharing similar traditions and customs.

Canada is the only country with a land border with Greenland, which was established in 2022 on the uninhabited island of Hans Island, a 1,280-meter-long land boundary. In 2024, the Canadian North, a carrier owned by the Inuit, launched a seasonal route from Ottawa through the capital of Nunavut to Nuuk, facilitating trade and personnel exchanges between the two regions. Future economic unions will greatly help Greenland to firmly root itself in the North American continent.

Greenland's rich, undeveloped natural resources complement Canada's abundant resource management and Arctic development expertise. Greenland's rich rare earth deposits are essential for wind turbines, electric vehicles, advanced electronics, and the green economy.

Canada's world-class mining industry can provide the investment, technology, and expertise needed for resource development in Greenland, ensuring that Greenland can gain economic benefits while protecting its fragile environment. Fisheries, as Greenland's main economic pillar, will find natural partners in Canada.

Tourism will be a promising area for the economic union. The Arctic is the last frontier of global adventure and ecotourism. Both sides will jointly develop infrastructure, conduct joint marketing, and offer comprehensive travel experiences for global tourists.

The economic union will eliminate trade barriers between the two sides, establish a common market, replace the Danish krone with the Canadian dollar, and allow citizens of both countries to freely migrate, reside, study, and work. Greenland will benefit from Canada's mature financial system, trade network, and infrastructure. Greenland's ports, roads, and energy projects will also benefit from Canadian investment, while Canada will gain a new market and strengthen its strategic presence in the Arctic.

The economic union will make the two countries leaders in Arctic governance, speaking with one voice in the Arctic Council and the United Nations. After the melting of ice caps and the opening of shipping routes, the two sides can better manage maritime traffic, enforce environmental regulations, and protect their shared interests from external pressures from major powers.

Interestingly, on October 6, Professor Peter Jones of the University of Ottawa wrote in The Globe and Mail, "Canada and Greenland Can Build a New Relationship," stating that "Trump's obsession with Greenland unsettles Canadians. Canada, which is also a target of Trump's desire, may find common ground with Greenland and Denmark." "It's time to further explore joint development plans in the region," but "Canada's specific alliance with the territory it covets risks further angering Trump." He proposed upgrading Canada's consulate in Greenland, suggesting that the Canadian Coast Guard regularly visit Greenland, and that Canadian Rangers assist Greenland's indigenous people with military training.

Sources: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1852985638576128/

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