The Big Winner: China

Trump’s bizarre threats to take Greenland by military force, now rescinded, added one more signal to America’s usual allies that the U.S. could no longer be trusted. One ironic result is closer economic relations between the rest of the world and China. This is far more consequential than whatever deterrent effect on China that might be achieved by more U.S. bases in Greenland.

Europe, especially Germany, was already moving in the direction of closer economic ties with China. In the wake of the Greenland debacle...