Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng warned yesterday that the world must not revert to the “law of the jungle”, speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos as Washington steps up its bid to take Greenland.

“A select few countries should not have privileges based on self-interest, and the world cannot revert to the law of the jungle where the strong prey on the weak,” he said in a speech which came as US President Donald Trump pushes his increasingly assertive America First agenda, and demands Nato ally Denmark to cede Greenland to him.

“All countries have the right to protect their legitimate interests.”

Trump said yesterday he had agreed to a meeting of “various parties” at the gathering of global elites about his bid to seize Greenland. “I agreed to a meeting of the various parties in Davos, Switzerland,” Trump posted on Truth Social platform.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday he prefers “respect to bullies” and “rule of law to brutality” during a speech at Davos.

UN chief Antonio Guterres has cancelled his participation in the summit after coming down with a “bad cold”, a spokesman said. Nato is facing the biggest crisis in its history over Trump’s threats, and the time for “flattering” the US leader is over, former alliance chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen told AFP. 

“It’s not only a crisis for Nato, it’s a crisis for the transatlantic community at large...,” he said in the  interview from the WEF.