China fully respects Denmark’s sovereignty on Greenland, foreign minister says

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BEIJING (Reuters) – China fully respects Denmark’s sovereignty and territorial integrity on the Greenland issue, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Danish counterpart on Monday, urging the European nation to reciprocate over China’s own sovereignty concerns.

U.S. President Donald Trump has in recent months insisted that Washington should take over the strategically located, semi-autonomous Danish territory.

Beijing hopes Denmark will “continue to support China’s legitimate position on issues concerning China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Wang told Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen in Beijing on Monday, according to a ministry statement.

The meeting took place after Beijing criticised Denmark for hosting former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen last week, who met Danish lawmakers and gave a speech at a democracy summit in Copenhagen.

China claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claim.

Ties between China and Denmark are challenged by the latter’s informal relations with Taiwan and hit a low point in 2009 when the Dalai Lama visited Copenhagen.

But relations improved after Denmark accepted China’s offer of two pandas as part of its so-called “panda diplomacy.”

Both countries’ cooperation has a large focus on green solutions, with Denmark’s expertise in wind power and environmental solutions matching China’s appetite for the green transition.

China is willing to deepen economic and trade cooperation with Denmark, as well as cooperation in scientific innovation and the green economy, Wang told Rasmussen.

The two sides share a widespread consensus on safeguarding multilateralism and defending free trade, he said, adding that China is willing to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with the EU.

(Reporting by Xiuhao Chen，Liz Lee and Ethan Wang; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, William Maclean)