When language games backfire: Case studies from Chinese engagement in the Arctic mining sector

Abstract

Chinese attempts at investing in Greenland have met with controversies and backlash. Chinese companies have not only been caught up in contentious local environmental and labor politics, but their investment plans have also been viewed as posing security challenges to the US and Denmark. In this talk, Patrik will focus on the role of political framing in fueling tensions between China and the West. Specifically, he will explore some of the unintended consequences that arise when framing that is intended for a specific purpose and audience is picked up and read by an unintended audience. In Greenland, it has contributed to a series of mutually reinforcing securitization policies: as Chinese investments in Greenland become securitized in Arctic countries, they also become more sensitive in China, which may cause the Chinese government to withdraw its support for Chinese investments in Greenland.  

Bio

Patrik is an analyst at the Swedish National China Centre. He has a PhD from Aalborg University. His thesis examined how China’s foreign policy priorities and demand for different minerals and raw materials shape the decisions and approaches of Chinese mining companies in the Arctic. Patrik has previously worked at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS). He also holds a master’s degree in Asian studies from Lund University, a master’s degree in ancient Chinese literature from Beijing Normal University and a bachelor’s degree in Chinese from Sichuan University.