China's Industry Ministry announced on Tuesday that China and Denmark had renewed their agreement to cooperate in green maritime technologies and?shipbuilding. The ministry also reaffirmed a "long-term partnership" in this sector.

The renewed agreement comes amid heightened tensions between Denmark, the U.S. and President Donald Trump. Trump has stated that he would like to control Denmark's island of Greenland, which is semi-autonomous, to protect the Arctic from security threats including China.

According to the Chinese side's readout, Li Lecheng, the Chinese Industry Minister, told Morten Bodskov the Danish Business and Industry minister that China was willing to do joint research and development on zero-carbon and low-carbon fuel powered ship technologies and explore cooperation in the sector of new energy vehicles.

Li told Bodskov, too, that China is "willing" to deepen its "strategic alliance" with Denmark and to contribute more to the global green development.

Petteri Orpo was the Finnish prime minister who paid an official visit to Beijing at the same time as Bodskov held his talks. Finland is a world leader in the production and design of icebreaker vessels needed for the emerging Arctic trade routes.

Orpo is in Beijing between January 25 and 28. According to a report from the media pool, he told Chinese leader Xi Jinping he was looking forward to continuing discussions on bilateral issues and international ones.

The two Nordic countries' pledges to "expand their cooperation with Beijing" are in stark contrast to Trump's narrative, which claims that China poses a threat to security for the Arctic region.

Beijing's agreement?with Denmark also shows that China is more in line with Nordic countries than Trump who described the green industry as a "Green New Scam". Reporting by Ethan Wang and Yukun Zhang. Editing by Louise Heavens, Mark Potter and Mark Potter

(source: Reuters)