Seminar: China's activities in Greenland - business, politics and the question of independence

With the publication of China’s white paper on Arctic strategy and the goal of establishing a Polar Silk Road, Chinese investment supported by the Chinese state is expected to increase in the coming years. Greenland has a prominent place in this strategy and Chinese companies view Greenland as a new frontier for business. There are also concerns, however, especially in Denmark and the US, that China is trying to boost its strategic position in the Arctic.

This seminar discusses recent Chinese activities from different angles. First of all, how China is viewed in Greenlandic discourse, secondly, how Chinese companies see Greenland as a business opportunity, and finally, what kind of geopolitical implications Chinese investments in Greenland raise.

Wednesday 21 November  2018, 10.00-12.00

DIIS ∙ Danish Institute for International Studies
Auditorium
Gl. Kalkbrænderi Vej 51A
2100 Copenhagen

Speakers

Ulrik Pram Gad, Associate Professor, Aalborg University

André Ken Jakobsson, postdoc. Centre for Military Studies, Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen

Yang Jiang, Senior Researcher, DIIS

Hans Lucht, Senior Researcher, DIIS

Programme

10.00-10.15 Introduction, Hans Lucht

10.15-10.40 Imagining China on Greenland’s road to independence, Ulrik Pram Gad

10.40-10.55 Greenland as China’s new frontier for business, Yang Jiang

10.55-11.20 Changing Chinese and US interests in the Arctic: grey zone conflict in Greenland, André Ken Jakobsson

11.20-11.30 Short coffee break

11.30-12.00 Q & A

Practical information

The seminar will be in English and livestreamed on diis.dk.

Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. Please use our online registration form no later than Tuesday 20 November  2018 at 12.00 noon. Livestream does not require registration.

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