CHINA criticised US President Donald Trump today for using its presence in the Arctic as a justification for seizing Greenland.

Speaking to journalists aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Mr Trump said that “one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland,” and claimed that if the US doesn’t take control of the self-governing Danish island, then “Russia or China will.”

Last week, Mr Trump said the US would take the Arctic island “whether they [the Greenlanders] like it or not” because “we’re not gonna have Russia or China as a neighbour.”

Russia is already the US’s neighbour. It lies just 55 miles across the Bering Straight from mainland Alaska.

Asked about Mr Trump’s statements at a media briefing in Beijing today, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said: “China’s activities in the Arctic are aimed at promoting peace, stability, and sustainable development in the region and are in accordance with international law.

“The rights and freedoms of all countries to conduct activities in the Arctic in accordance with the law should be fully respected,” Ms Mao said.

“The US should not pursue its own interests by using other countries as a pretext.”

The Arctic, she said, “concerns the overall interests of the international community.”

The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland, Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Vivian Motzfeldt respectively, are due to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday in Washington.

And a group of US senators are due to visit Denmark this week also, though details of the trip have not yet been shared.

One of those going on the visit to Copenhagen is Alaska’s senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican.

“We have a lot ahead of us in 2026. Taking Greenland shouldn’t be on that list,” she posted on X last week.

“Instead, we should continue building relationships — through trade, tourism, cultural exchange, and indigenous governance — rather than sending provocative messages that undo decades of trust.”