But in a twist of irony, China itself was hoping to use Trump's obsession with Greenland to weaken the NATO alliance and bring itself closer to Europe, according to diplomatic cables obtained by Politico. "A cable from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on Jan. 21 suggests the Chinese government is eager to benefit from Trump’s moves against Greenland. The situation 'offers China an opportunity to benefit from European hedging' and could “'amplify trans-Atlantic frictions,' U.S. diplomats wrote in laying out the thinking in China," said the report. Both Denmark and the Greenlandic government have closed the door on the U.S. acquiring Greenland; nonetheless, the military, through the NATO alliance, has enjoyed access to the island for strategic purposes for decades. Earlier this month, Trump seemingly de-escalated from a stance of threatening to send troops to Greenland, saying that he had reached the "framework of a future deal" to determine Greenland's status.