NUUK, Greenland (AP) — China said Monday that the United States shouldn’t use other countries as a “pretext” to pursue its interests in Greenland and said that its activities in the Arctic comply with international law.

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The comment by a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson came in response to a question at a regular daily briefing. U.S. President Donald Trump has said that he would like to make a deal to acquire Greenland, a semiautonomous region of NATO ally Denmark, to prevent Russia or China from taking it over.

Tensions have grown between Washington, Denmark and Greenland this month as Trump and his administration push the issue and the White House considers a range of options, including military force, to acquire the vast Arctic island.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that an American takeover of Greenland would mark the end of NATO. On Friday, Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and the leaders of the four other parties in the territory’s parliament issued a joint statement reiterating that Greenland’s future must be decided by its people and emphasizing their “wish that the United States’ contempt for our country ends.”

Trump reiterated his argument that the U.S. needs to “take Greenland,” otherwise Russia or China would, in comments aboard Air Force One on Sunday. He said he’d rather “make a deal” for the territory, “but one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland.”

China in 2018 declared itself a “near-Arctic state” in an effort to gain more influence in the region. Beijing has also announced plans to build a “Polar Silk Road” as part of its global Belt and Road Initiative, which has created economic links with countries around the world.

Asked in Beijing Monday about U.S. statements that it is necessary for Washington to take over Greenland to prevent China and Russia from taking control, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning replied that “China’s activities in the Arctic are aimed at promoting peace, stability, and sustainable development in the region and are in accordance with international law.” She didn’t elaborate on those activities.

“The rights and freedoms of all countries to conduct activities in the Arctic in accordance with the law should be fully respected,” Mao said, without mentioning Greenland directly. “The U.S. should not pursue its own interests by using other countries as a pretext.”

She said that “the Arctic concerns the overall interests of the international community.”

Danish and Greenlandic envoys are expected in Washington this week for talks, and plans are also being put together for U.S. senators to visit Denmark.

Kids ‘n Kinship provides friendships and positive role models to children and youth ages 5-16 who are in need of an additional supportive relationship with an adult. Here’s one of the youth waiting for a mentor:

First name: Matt

Age: 9

Interests: Matt loves planes and ships.  He also loves dogs, so a mentor with a furry friend is a bonus!  He is a Mindcraft and Roblox whiz.  He enjoys sports – his favorites are soccer, basketball, and baseball.

Personality/Characteristics: He describes himself as emotional, creative and goofy. A mentor who can role model or coach ways for him to stay calm or work through situations when he gets upset is a bonus. He lives with his grandparents and they describe him as active, talkative, very energetic and imaginative.

Goals/dreams: When he grows up, he wants to be a pilot, engineer or architect. If he could have three wishes he would want to: 1) Be a Pilot  2) Captain a ship 3) Go to Dubai.  He wants an individual or couple mentor who he can have fun with and likes some of the things he does! His grandparents are hoping a mentor can offer him a safe and supportive connection that he really needs in his life at his age.

For more information: Matt is waiting for a mentor through Kids n’ Kinship in Dakota County. To learn more about this youth mentoring program and the 39+ youth waiting for a mentor, sign up for an Information Session, visit www.kidsnkinship.org or email programs@kidsnkinship.org. For more information about mentoring in the Twin Cities outside of Dakota County, contact MENTOR MN at mentor@mentormn.org or fill out a brief form at www.mentoring.org/take-action/become-a-mentor/#search.

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The Vikings’ football brass has one, giant question its entire fan base will not-so-patiently await the answer to this offseason: Is J.J. McCarthy Plan A to be under center at the start of the 2026 season?

More clues to that conclusion are likely to appear in the coming week, when coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah meet with the media and respond to what figures to be a bevy of McCarthy-centric queries.

The Vikings had a front-row seat to what really equated to Year 1 of the signal caller’s NFL development. And while there were numerous stops and starts to the campaign, a solid, 10-game sample size was constructed.

McCarthy demonstrated escapability, arm strength, passion and an ability to make plays in the biggest moments.

He also showed inaccuracy, inconsistency, poor decision making and an inability to stay on the field.

The overall consensus: Not great.

Maybe those were all traits you’d expect to see at some level from a quarterback who turns 23 years this month. But the hope was McCarthy would be good enough to steer the ship on a championshipish-caliber team in 2025. Instead, he’s one of the major reasons the Vikings are spending Wildcard Weekend on the couch.

Does that mean it’s time for Minnesota to move on with McCarthy, or have him step aside for a more reliable option in 2026?

How can we answer that before knowing who the Vikings are? The real shame of last season is that even just competent quarterback play likely would have pushed the Vikings into the playoffs. That might not be the case in 2026.

Harrison Smith is likely retiring. Eric Wilson may sign elsewhere. And, perhaps most important, defensive coordinator Brian Flores — one of the top two or three defensive coaches in football at the moment — is a free agent who could leave for a head coaching gig, or even make a lateral move for a larger salary.

If Flores and Wilson both depart, it’s not a given that Minnesota will have a similarly dominant defense in 2026. And if there is a drop off on that end, average play under center won’t vault the Vikings into any higher competitive stratosphere.

There was a path for Minnesota to contend for real things in 2025. The same doors may not be open next season.

If that’s the case, another year of McCarthy as ‘The Man’ may make sense. He showed enough potential to be a worthwhile project if you’re going to be an average, or below average team, anyway.

But if Flores is back and Minnesota feels it again has the personnel to compete, then quarterback insurance — at minimum — must be acquired. You cannot punt on potential contention for a second straight season in the name of a single player’s development that might not bear fruit.

When the time ultimately comes this spring to make a decision on the quarterback room, O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah should spend less time reflecting and more evaluating the other side of the ball.

If they again believe they have a championship-level defense, a move must be made under center, whether that’s through free agency or trade, regardless of the assets required to upgrade.

When it comes to the future of J.J. McCarthy, perhaps it’s Flores who truly holds the keys.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – DECEMBER 21: J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates after his rushing touchdown against the New York Giants in the second quarter of a game at MetLife Stadium on December 21, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)

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Today is Monday, Jan. 12, the 12th day of 2026. There are 353 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Jan. 12, 1969, the biggest upset in Super Bowl history occurred as the New York Jets of the American Football League defeated the Baltimore Colts of the National Football League 16-7 in Super Bowl III, played at the Orange Bowl in Miami.

Also on this date:

In 1915, the U.S. House of Representatives rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to give women nationwide the right to vote.

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In 1932, Hattie W. Caraway of Arkansas became the first woman to win election to the U.S. Senate after initially being appointed to serve out the remainder of the term of her late husband, Thaddeus.

In 1948, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Sipuel v. Board of Regents of University of Oklahoma, unanimously ruled that state law schools could not discriminate against applicants on the basis of race.

In 1959, Berry Gordy Jr. founded Motown Records (originally Tamla Records) in Detroit.

In 1966, “Batman” premiered on ABC, starring Adam West and Burt Ward.

In 2010, Haiti was struck by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that the Haitian government estimated killed some 300,000 people.

Today’s birthdays:

Author Haruki Murakami is 77.
Filmmaker Wayne Wang is 77.
Football Hall of Famer Drew Pearson is 75.
Writer Walter Mosley is 74.
Media personality Howard Stern is 72.
Filmmaker John Lasseter is 69.
Broadcast journalist Christiane Amanpour is 68.
Actor Oliver Platt is 66.
Basketball Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins is 66.
Entrepreneur Jeff Bezos is 62.
Musician-filmmaker Rob Zombie is 61.
Rock singer Zack de la Rocha (Rage Against the Machine) is 56.
Rapper Raekwon (Wu Tang Clan) is 56.
Singer Melanie Chisholm (Spice Girls) is 52.
Hockey Hall of Famer Marián Hossa is 47.
Actor Issa Rae is 41.
Singer Zayn Malik is 33.
Actor Nathan Gamble is 27.