BEIJING -- China has repeatedly stated its position on the Greenland issue, and urged the United States to stop using the so-called "China threat" as a pretext for pursuing its own interests, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said here Monday.

Spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a regular news briefing that the international law based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter is the foundation of the existing international order and must be upheld.

Guo made the remarks when responding to a query about US President Donald Trump's recent announcement that the United States would impose a 10 percent tariff from Feb 1 on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands and Finland over Greenland and raise the levy to 25 percent from the beginning of June unless a deal is reached for the United States to purchase the territory.