China opposes using it as pretext for selfish gains on Greenland: spokesperson

BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- China opposes the practice of making unfounded allegations and using the country as a pretext for selfish gains, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Thursday in response to the latest development surrounding Greenland.

"China always believes that the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be upheld when handling relations between countries," Guo said at a regular news briefing.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte produced "the framework of a future deal" concerning Greenland and the broader Arctic region.

A NATO spokesperson reportedly said that negotiations between Denmark, Greenland and the United States would go forward aimed at ensuring that Russia and China never gain a foothold in Greenland economically or militarily.

"The so-called China threat is baseless," Guo said. ■