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China–Denmark relations

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Chinese-Danish relations
Map indicating locations of China and Denmark

China
Denmark

China–Denmark relations are foreign relations between China and Denmark. Denmark recognized the People's Republic of China on January 9, 1950, and the two countries established diplomatic relations on May 11, 1950. On February 15, 1956, the two countries upgraded diplomatic relations from ministerial to ambassadorial level and exchanged ambassadors. China has an embassy in Copenhagen. Denmark has an embassy in Beijing and 4 general consulates in Chongqing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

History

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In 1870 the Danish ironclad Tordenskjold visited China. In 1899 and 1900, the Danish cruiser Valkyrien visited China with Prince Valdemar of Denmark aboard.

In 1950, Denmark became one of the first western countries to recognize the People's Republic of China.[1]: 165 

Since 2000, the most important area of cooperation between China and Denmark has been energy, with a particular focus on renewable energy like wind power.[1]: 167  Denmark describes Sino-Danish energy cooperation as the "crown jewel" of its broader energy partnership program.[1]: 196  At the end of 2005, the two countries launched the Sino-Danish Wind Energy Program to help China learn from the Danish wind power experience in areas including the development of advanced wind power technology, wind resource assessment, and personnel training.[1]: 175  The program lasted until 2010, providing important assistance to China at a time when its wind power capacity was doubling every two years (2006–2009).[1]: 175–176  China and Denmark launched the Renewable Energy Development program in 2008 with the goals of developing capacity and technological innovation in China.[1]: 176  The Danish government also supported the creation of the China National Renewable Energy Center (CNREC), which as of 2023 is the Danish government's most important initiative in China.[1]: 189  Although is a China-led center, Denmark directly supports its operations and leadership, including via a seat on CNREC's advisory committee.[1]: 182  In November 2024, Denmark's Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities Lars Aagaard referred to Chinese wind turbine manufacturers as a "threat" and said that the government has tools that ensure that its largest offshore wind tender to date goes to "someone we can trust."[2]

In November 2024, the Royal Danish Navy monitored a Chinese shipping vessel, the Yi Peng 3, in the Baltic Sea after it was found be in the vicinity of two severed undersea fiber-optic data cables and suspected of sabotage.[3][4]

Human rights concerns

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Dalai Lama

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China suspended ties with Denmark after its Prime Minister met the Dalai Lama and resumed them only after the Danish government issued a statement in December 2009 saying it would oppose Tibetan independence and consider Beijing's reaction before inviting him again.[5]

Hong Kong

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In June 2020, Denmark openly opposed the Hong Kong national security law.[6]

Uyghurs

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Further information: Concerns and controversies at the 2022 Winter Olympics

In January 2022, Denmark announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics due to concerns about the Chinese government's human rights abuses of Uyghurs.[7][8]

Greenland

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China has invested in several projects in Greenland, including in mines for rare-earth elements, iron, and uranium.[9]

In 2018, the China Communications Construction responded to a request for proposals from the Government of Greenland for the construction and operation of three airports in Nuuk, Ilulissat and Qaqortoq.[9] The government of Denmark objected to the bid, citing security objections.[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Lewis, Joanna I. (2023). Cooperating for the Climate: Learning from International Partnerships in China's Clean Energy Sector. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-54482-5.
  2. ^ Radowitz, Bernd (2024-11-19). "Denmark has 'tools' against Chinese 'threat' at big offshore wind tender, minister says". upstreamonline.com. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  3. ^ Harris, Rob (2024-11-20). "Chinese cargo ship suspected in 'sabotage' of Baltic Sea cables". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  4. ^ Ahlander, Johan (November 20, 2024). "Danish military says it's staying close to Chinese ship after data cable breaches". Reuters. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  5. ^ "China's strident tone raises concerns among Western governments, analysts (Washington Post)". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2017-10-18. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
  6. ^ Lawler, Dave (2 July 2020). "The 53 countries supporting China's crackdown on Hong Kong". Axios. Archived from the original on 4 July 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  7. ^ "Denmark to join diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics over human rights". Reuters. 14 January 2022. Archived from the original on 14 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  8. ^ Mather, Victor (2022-02-06). "The Diplomatic Boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, Explained". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2022-02-08. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  9. ^ a b c Mehta, Aaron (September 7, 2018). "How a potential Chinese-built airport in Greenland could be risky for a vital US Air Force base". Sightline Media Group.
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