Greenland’s parliament on Tuesday approved a security deal with Denmark and the United States, granting the U.S. expanded military access across the island while formally reaffirming Danish sovereignty and local self-determination.
The security agreement was signed by the three parties in New York on September 22 this year at a ceremony on the sidelines of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.
Based on the arrangement, the document now requires approval from the Danish parliament. According to reports, the Danish parliament will begin its deliberation process on November 12, with completion expected by November 19.
The agreement shall enter into force on the date of a diplomatic note informing the United States of the completion of necessary parliamentary procedures by the Kingdom of Denmark together with Greenland.
Under the security agreement, the United States will be allowed to modernize and expand its activities at the Pituffik Space Base it already operates in remote northwestern Greenland, and establish an additional defense area at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig.
The deal also permits U.S. aircraft to fly over and land in any territory in Greenland, including its territorial waters.
The document reaffirms "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark" and recognizes that the people of Greenland constitute a people with the "right to self-determination."
Greenland's parliament approves security deal expanding US military access
Greenland's parliament approves security deal expanding US military access
Teams competing in the climbing event on Mount Tai in Tai'an City of east China's Shandong Province took the race as a valuable real-world testing ground to evaluate their robots' power, balance and autonomous perception capability.
The inaugural China Media Group (CMG) World Robot Mount Tai Challenge on Monday drew nearly 90 teams. The competition was divided into two main categories of speed races and specialized events, with five events in total for different robot forms, including humanoid, quadruped, and exoskeleton.
Competitors tackled the 3.9-kilometer ancient stone path from Hongmen to Zhongtianmen -- ascending more than 3,100 steps with an elevation gain of nearly 640 meters, while the morning mist and moss added extra layers of difficulty.
A humanoid robot developed by VSISLAB of Shandong University's School of Control Science and Engineering struggled at the start on the rugged terrain.
"At the beginning, there is a very steep section, which narrows to just 18 or 19 centimeters in width at its tightest point. The robot made two attempts to pass it, and it did not fall over," said Li Zhongzheng, a student of the university.
The team successfully finished the race and placed eighth.
The Beijing Lingyi Technology, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hangzhou-based Unitree Robotics, won the quadruped robot speed race. Its robots completed the demanding climb with a steady, mechanical ascent over uneven steps, stone ridges and narrow mountain paths.
"We have four robotic dogs in the competition. They secured both the first and second place in the racing event, as well as the second place in the weight-carrying event," said Chen Xiyun, leader of the Beijing Lingyi Technology Team.
For many participants, the event provided a rare opportunity to test their models in real-world scenarios, enabling products to improve more quickly than through laboratory trials alone.
"From a technical standpoint, there are many goals for us to pursue. I hope our team can continue to climb higher, step by step, just as the robots did during this competition," said Wang Jian, engineer of the Norinco Intelligent Innovation Research Institute (Shenzhen) Company.
Robots test their limits at Mount Tai climbing competition
