President Donald Trump has warned that China is making deeper inroads into the Arctic, and that Greenland's strategic location and mineral potential could become a key battleground in US-China competition, the Washington Post reported on Friday, the 23rd.

Trump's allies argue that Washington cannot afford to let Beijing dictate terms for the minerals that underpin modern industry and military readiness, and Foreign Policy reported on January 9th that US officials were promoting Greenland as a "treasure trove" of minerals.

"Greenland sits atop vast deposits of rare earth elements," said Senator Ted Cruz (Republican-Texas) in remarks quoted by Foreign Policy in a January 9th report.

VP JD Vance, pointing to Greenland's "enormous natural resources," argued that the US needed to focus more on Greenland, according to a January 9th Foreign Policy report. Mike Waltz, then newly appointed National Security Advisor, stated, "This is a national security issue for us, and it relates to critical mineral resources."

Among Trump's allies, increased US engagement in Greenland—through enhanced security cooperation, securing access to infrastructure, and supporting the development of mines aligned with Western interests—is increasingly seen as a way to dilute China's influence over rare earths. The Washington Post reported on Friday that Beijing's strategy is to incrementally build influence through scientific, commercial, and diplomatic activities rather than attempting to "conquer" the island.

The Washington Post reported on Friday that China has designated itself a "near-Arctic state," asserting a role in Arctic governance and development.

Such ambitions have met resistance before. The Washington Post reported on Friday on instances where Chinese investment attempts in Greenland were thwarted after Denmark and Greenland raised security concerns.

Beijing's Arctic strategy also involves growing ties with Moscow, with the Washington Post reporting on Friday that cooperation between China and Russia in the region has drawn increased attention following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Nevertheless, Greenland is not a problem to be solved in the short term. The island "may not be the motherlode of rare earths that some US officials claim," a January 9th Foreign Policy report warned, noting that development obstacles could delay a rapid shift in supply.

On the ground, some Greenlandic residents appear weary of the global attention. One resident was quoted by the Financial Times (FT) on Friday as saying, "I'm really tired of Trump," while others see it as an opportunity, the FT reported.

Sovereignty remains a line that must not be crossed, with Greenlandic leaders emphasizing self-governance and refusing to cede control as major powers eye the island's resources and geographic advantages, the FT reported Friday.

US NNP Representative Editor Sung Ku Hong / Special Correspondent for this paper NNP info@newsandpost.com