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Norway, a NATO member located on the Arctic front line, has said that China's presence in the region is "limited but growing" as it increases cooperation with its quasi-ally Russia.
Newsweek has emailed the Chinese and Russian foreign ministries for comment by email.
Why It Matters
China, an East Asian country located at least 900 miles away from the Arctic Circle, has claimed itself a "near-Arctic state," as well as a stakeholder in the Arctic affairs. Last summer, it deployed three icebreakers to the Arctic Ocean for the first time, Newsweek's map shows.
Newsweek's investigation discovered that a Chinese institute in the Svalbard archipelago in the Norwegian Arctic was conducting potential dual-use research that can have military and civilian applications. This caused strong concerns for the United States government.
What To Know
"Over the past year, tensions have been rising between Russia and China on the one hand and the West on the other," the Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) warned in its annual threat assessment report of current security challenges, which was released on February 5.
China's "largest and most prominent" activities in the Arctic are its investments in Russian liquefied natural gas projects, the report said. However, Russia may draw other BRICS members—Brazil, India, and South Africa—into developing its Arctic energy projects.
With regard to the Chinese icebreaker fleet, the report said in addition to the five ships in service, China is working on developing heavier icebreakers and icebreakers with nuclear propulsion, increasing its ability to map the Arctic for both civilian and military purposes.
The report claimed that "friction and self-interest" will mark the increasing Chinese-Russian cooperation in the Arctic. China "will put national interests first, which means capitalizing on Russia's dependence in order to negotiate favorable bilateral agreements," it added.
On the Northern Sea Route, a shipping lane that traverses the Arctic Ocean, Beijing will exploit its cooperation with Moscow to increase Russia's dependence on Chinese expertise and investments, which will further shift the power balance in its favor, the report said.
While Russia will continue to oppose the presence of Chinese military capabilities in the western Arctic, it held the first joint strategic bomber mission with China in the eastern Arctic last year, suggesting they are expanding their military cooperation in the region.
What People Are Saying
The Norwegian Intelligence Service said in its threat assessment report: "China has ambitions to strengthen its presence, capabilities and influence in the Arctic in the coming years. China is facilitating this by strengthening cooperation with Russia on research and commercial activities, as well as by increasing China's national icebreaker capacity."
The Chinese government's Arctic policy read: "China's policy goals on the Arctic are: to understand, protect, develop and participate in the governance of the Arctic, so as to safeguard the common interests of all countries and the international community in the Arctic, and promote sustainable development of the Arctic."
What Happens Next
The U.S. and Russia have discussed cooperation to explore Arctic's natural resources and trade routes, Bloomberg reported, which could "drive a wedge" between Russia and China.
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About the writer
Ryan Chan is a Newsweek reporter based in Hong Kong, where he previously had over a decade of experience at ... Read more