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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| How Greenland could become China's Arctic base | How Greenland could become China's Arctic base |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| China is flexing its muscles. As the second richest economy in the world, its businessmen and politicians are involved just about everywhere in Asia, Africa and Latin America. | China is flexing its muscles. As the second richest economy in the world, its businessmen and politicians are involved just about everywhere in Asia, Africa and Latin America. |
| Now, though, China is taking a big interest in a very different part of the world: the Arctic. | Now, though, China is taking a big interest in a very different part of the world: the Arctic. |
| It has started calling itself a "near-Arctic" power, even though Beijing is almost 3,000km (1,800 miles) from the Arctic Circle. It has bought or commissioned several ice-breakers - including nuclear-powered ones - to carve out new routes for its goods through the Arctic ice. | It has started calling itself a "near-Arctic" power, even though Beijing is almost 3,000km (1,800 miles) from the Arctic Circle. It has bought or commissioned several ice-breakers - including nuclear-powered ones - to carve out new routes for its goods through the Arctic ice. |
| And it is eyeing Greenland as a particularly useful way-station on its polar silk road. | And it is eyeing Greenland as a particularly useful way-station on its polar silk road. |
| Greenland is self-governing, though still nominally controlled by Denmark. | Greenland is self-governing, though still nominally controlled by Denmark. |
| It is important strategically for the United States, which maintains a vast military base at Thule, in the far north. Both the Danes and the Americans are deeply worried that China should be showing such an interest in Greenland. | It is important strategically for the United States, which maintains a vast military base at Thule, in the far north. Both the Danes and the Americans are deeply worried that China should be showing such an interest in Greenland. |
| Least densely populated place on Earth | Least densely populated place on Earth |
| You've got to go there to get an idea of how enormous Greenland is. | You've got to go there to get an idea of how enormous Greenland is. |
| It's the 12th-largest territory in the world, 10 times bigger than the United Kingdom: two million square kilometres of rock and ice. | It's the 12th-largest territory in the world, 10 times bigger than the United Kingdom: two million square kilometres of rock and ice. |
| Yet its population is minuscule at 56,000 – roughly the size of a town in England. | |
| As a result, Greenland is the least densely populated territory on Earth. About 88% of the people are Inuit; most of the rest are ethnically Danish. | As a result, Greenland is the least densely populated territory on Earth. About 88% of the people are Inuit; most of the rest are ethnically Danish. |
| Over the years neither the Americans nor the Danes have put all that much money into Greenland, and Nuuk, the capital, feels pretty poor. | Over the years neither the Americans nor the Danes have put all that much money into Greenland, and Nuuk, the capital, feels pretty poor. |
| Every day, small numbers of people gather in the centre to sell things that will generate a bit of cash: cast-off clothes, children's schoolbooks, cakes they've made, dried fish, reindeer-horn carvings. Some people also sell the bloody carcases of the big King Eider ducks, which Inuits are allowed to hunt but aren't supposed to sell for profit. | Every day, small numbers of people gather in the centre to sell things that will generate a bit of cash: cast-off clothes, children's schoolbooks, cakes they've made, dried fish, reindeer-horn carvings. Some people also sell the bloody carcases of the big King Eider ducks, which Inuits are allowed to hunt but aren't supposed to sell for profit. |
| China's air power | China's air power |
| At present you can only fly to Nuuk in small propeller-driven planes. In four years, though, that will change spectacularly. | At present you can only fly to Nuuk in small propeller-driven planes. In four years, though, that will change spectacularly. |
| The Greenlandic government has decided to build three big international airports capable of taking large passenger jets. | The Greenlandic government has decided to build three big international airports capable of taking large passenger jets. |
| China is bidding for the contracts. | China is bidding for the contracts. |
| There'll be pressure from the Danes and Americans to ensure the Chinese bid doesn't succeed, but that won't stop China's involvement in Greenland. | There'll be pressure from the Danes and Americans to ensure the Chinese bid doesn't succeed, but that won't stop China's involvement in Greenland. |
| Interestingly, I found that opinion about the Chinese tended to divide along ethnic lines. | Interestingly, I found that opinion about the Chinese tended to divide along ethnic lines. |
| Danish people were worried about it, while Inuits thought it was a good idea. | Danish people were worried about it, while Inuits thought it was a good idea. |
| The Greenlandic prime minister and foreign minister refused to speak to us about their government's attitude to China, but a former prime minister, Kuupik Kleist, told us he thought it would be good for Greenland. | The Greenlandic prime minister and foreign minister refused to speak to us about their government's attitude to China, but a former prime minister, Kuupik Kleist, told us he thought it would be good for Greenland. |
| But the foreign affairs spokesman of the main Venstre party in the Danish coalition government, Michael Aastrup Jensen, was forthright about Chinese involvement in Greenland. | But the foreign affairs spokesman of the main Venstre party in the Danish coalition government, Michael Aastrup Jensen, was forthright about Chinese involvement in Greenland. |
| "We don't want a communist dictatorship in our own backyard," he said. | "We don't want a communist dictatorship in our own backyard," he said. |
| Much-needed wealth | Much-needed wealth |
| China's sales technique in other countries where its companies operate is to offer the kind of infrastructure they badly need: airports, roads, clean water. | China's sales technique in other countries where its companies operate is to offer the kind of infrastructure they badly need: airports, roads, clean water. |
| The Western powers that once colonised many of them haven't usually stepped in to help, and most of these governments are only too grateful for Chinese aid. | The Western powers that once colonised many of them haven't usually stepped in to help, and most of these governments are only too grateful for Chinese aid. |
| But it comes at a price. | But it comes at a price. |
| China gets access to each country's raw materials - minerals, metals, wood, fuel, foodstuffs. Still, this doesn't usually mean long-term jobs for local people. Large numbers of Chinese are usually brought in to do the work. | China gets access to each country's raw materials - minerals, metals, wood, fuel, foodstuffs. Still, this doesn't usually mean long-term jobs for local people. Large numbers of Chinese are usually brought in to do the work. |
| Country after country has discovered that Chinese investment helps China's economy a great deal more than it helps them. And in some places - South Africa is one of them - there are complaints that China's involvement tends to bring greater corruption. | Country after country has discovered that Chinese investment helps China's economy a great deal more than it helps them. And in some places - South Africa is one of them - there are complaints that China's involvement tends to bring greater corruption. |
| But in Nuuk it's hard to get people to focus on arguments like these. | But in Nuuk it's hard to get people to focus on arguments like these. |
| What counts in this vast, empty, impoverished territory is the thought that big money could be on its way. Kuupik Kleist put the argument at its simplest. | What counts in this vast, empty, impoverished territory is the thought that big money could be on its way. Kuupik Kleist put the argument at its simplest. |
| "We need it, you see," he said. | "We need it, you see," he said. |