Greenland mine

A Chinese-backed plan to exploit one of the world’s biggest supplies of rare earth minerals in Greenland faces being scrapped after the country elected a new government opposed to the project. A snap parliamentary election over opposition to the proposed Kvanefjeld mine in southern Greenland has handed victory to the left-wing, proenvironmental Inuit Ataqatigiit party, which has pledged to stop it going ahead. The election was being watched closely by Western diplomats amid fears about China’s role in the project. The Australian firm that backed the mine, Greenland Minerals, is part-owned by Shenghe Holdings, a Chinese company with close ties to the Beijing Government. Western governments worry Beijing may be seeking to monopolise Greenland’s rare earth mineral deposits, giving it control over one of the world’s most valuable resources. The mineral is used in everything from iphones and solar panels to hybrid cars and weapons systems.