Friday, March 26, 2010
Chin's Arctic Yellow River Station
As the Arctic heats up, so does international interest in the previously inaccessible region. A lack of territory adjacent to the Arctic Ocean has not stopped China from preparing for the day when ships will be able to sail through the once-frozen sea in coming years. Just as the United States, Canada, Denmark and Russia have done, China’s government is formulating new policies and strategies to take advantage of an ice-free Arctic during the summertime.
The biggest concern is shipping, which China heavily depends upon for its economic development. Being able to sail through the Arctic would trim 4,000 miles off voyages for Chinese vessels traveling to and from Europe and the east coast of North America.
According to Linda Jakobson at the Swedish think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China “has adopted a wait-and-see approach to Arctic developments” so it doesn’t spook other countries interested in accessing an ice-free Northern Passage. The Chinese government is particularly wary of Russia’s intentions since the Russians planted their flag on the Arctic seabed in August 2007 and resumed bomber flights over the Arctic the same month.
The Chinese have already built the largest foreign embassy in Iceland, in anticipation of that country’s potential future status as a shipping hub. They are also exploring warmer relations with Norway, having established an Arctic research station in Norway in 2004. And the Chinese are considering the possibilities for increased cooperation with Japan and South Korea, both of which would also benefit by new Arctic shipping lanes.
Jakobson notes that Chinese rights in the Arctic are limited because they don’t have a border with the region and because the Chinese government, in its international affairs, has consistently stressed the importance of national sovereignty.
Jakobson concludes that, “There is some irony in the statements by Chinese officials calling on the Arctic states to consider the interests of mankind so that all states can share the Arctic. These statements appear to be contrary to China’s long-standing principles of respect for sovereignty and the internal affairs of other states. Based on official statements by the Chinese Government and the open-source literature written by Chinese Arctic scholars, China can be expected to continue to persistently, yet quietly and unobtrusively, push for the Arctic in spirit being accessible to all.”
-David Wallechinsky, Noel Brinkerhoff
China Prepares for an Ice-Free Arctic (by Linda Jakobson, SIPRI) (pdf)
China and the Arctic: The Awakening Snow Dragon (by Joseph Spears, Jamestown Foundation)
U.S. Navy Prepares for Militarization of the Arctic (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
A Disturbing Success: The First Commercial Trans-Arctic Passage (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
Navy Prepares for Increased Arctic Role Due to Global Warming (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
The Bright Side of Global Warming (AllGov)
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