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China's Polar Silk Road: Opportunities and Challenges for Nordic Arctic

Year 2022, Volume: 4 Issue: 3, 299 - 326, 01.10.2022
https://doi.org/10.53451/ijps.1152777

Abstract

Recent global and environmental changes have marked the increasing significance of the Arctic region. With the adoption of the Polar Silk Road (PSR) policy framework by China, emerging opportunities and challenges for Nordic countries in the region have received wider attention.
This article mainly explores several plans and projects regarding the development and utilization of Arctic sea routes under the shadow of increasing global uncertainties. It suggests that sides can facilitate efforts toward convergent preferences in bilateral and multilateral contexts for achieving greater benefits from integrated projects within the framework of the PSR. Despite all significant evidence for the improvement of China-Nordic cooperation, obstacles need to be overcome by focusing on coordinated policies toward global governance, accommodating common interests, and promoting sustainable development.

References

  • “A Parliamentary Resolution on Iceland’s Arctic Policy”. Reykjavik: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iceland. 28 March 2011.
  • Biedermann, Reinhard. “Exploring Sino-Russian-Nordics Triangular Relations: Complex Balancing Along The Polar Silk Road”. Journal of Contemporary European Studies (2021): 1-17.
  • Buchanan, Elizabeth. “Sea Cables in a Thawing Arctic”. The Interpreter. 1 February 2018.
  • “China Says Free Trade Talks with Norway Should be Accelerated”. Reuters. 2 August 2018.
  • “China Unveils Vision for ‘Polar Silk Road’ Across Arctic”. Reuters. 20 January 2018.
  • “Finland’s Strategy for the Arctic Region Government Resolution”. Helsinki: Prime Minister’s Office of Finland. 23 August 2013.
  • “Full Text: China’s Arctic Policy”. Beijing: State Council Information Office of China. 26 January 2018. http://english.www.gov.cn/archive/white_paper/2018/01/26/content_281476026660336.htm (13.07.2022).
  • “Full Text: Vision for Maritime Cooperation Under the Belt and Road Initiative”. Xinhuanet. 20 June 2017. http://english.www.gov.cn/archive/publications/2017/06/20/content_281475691873460.htm (16.07.2022).
  • Groffman, Nicolas. “Why China-Russia Relations Are Warming Up in the Arctic”. South China Morning Post. 17 February 2018.
  • “Governor Orlov Confirms China as Key Arctic Partner”. The Barents Observer. 28 December 2017.
  • Hu, Tao. “Finnair Flying High with China’s Ongoing Growth, Development”. China Daily. 15 June 2018.
  • Johnson, Simon. “Pompeo: Russia is ‘Agressive’ in Arctic, China’s Work There Also Needs Watching”. Reuters. 6 May 2019.
  • “Kiruna North Pole Ground Station (CNPGS)”. Global Security, 2021. https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/world/china/kiruna.htm (13.06.2022).
  • Kynge, James. “Chinese Purchases of Overseas Ports Top $20bn in Past Year”. Financial Times. 15 July 2018.
  • Lantaigne, Marc and Ping Su. “China’s Developing Arctic Policies: Myths and Misconceptions”. Journal of China and International Relations 3, no. 1 (2015): 1-25.
  • Liang, Youchang and Zhang Shuhui. “Norway’s Arctic Town Envisions Gateway on Polar Silk Road with Link to China”. Xinhua. 10 March 2018.
  • “Mike Pompeo Rejects Canada’s Claims to Northwest Passage as ‘Illegitimate’”. The Guardian. 7 May 2019.
  • Putin, Vladimir. “Speech at the One Belt, One Road International Forum 2017”. 14 May 2017.
  • Ryzhova, Anna. “On the Prospects for China Cooperation with the Arctic Countries”. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 2020.
  • “Sino-Nordic Relations: Opportunities and the Way Ahead”. Stockholm: ISDP, 2016. https://isdp.eu/content/uploads/2016/11/2016-Sino-Nordic-Relations-Opportunities-and-the-Way-Ahead.pdf (28.07.2022).
  • Sorensen, Camilla T. N. “Belt, Road, and Circle: The Arctic and Northern Europe in China’s Belt and Road Initiative.” In China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Changing the Rules of Globalization, edited by Wenxian Zhang, Ilan Alon and Christoph Lattemann, 95-113. Geneva: Palgrave, 2018.
  • Staalesen, Atle. “Barents Town Envisions Arctic Hub with Link to China”. The Barents Observer. 6 February 2018.
  • Staalesen, Atle. “Chinese Money for Northern Sea Route”. The Barents Observer. 12 June 2018.
  • “Sweden’s Strategy for the Arctic Region”. Sockholm: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, 2011.
  • Sverdrup-Thygeson, Bjornar and Jerker Hellström. “Introduction: Quintet Out of Tune? China’s Bilateral Relations with the Nordic States.” In Dragon in the North: The Nordic Countries’ Relations with China, edited by Bjornar Sverdrup-Thygeson, 4-10. Oslo: Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, 2016.
  • The 2021 Global Innovation Index. https://www.globalinnovationindex.org/analysis-indicator (23.06.2022). “The Polar Silk Road Attracts the World’s Attention”. People’s Daily. 28 January 2018.
  • Thordarsson, Gudlaugur T. “Iceland-China Relations Will Continue to Strenghten”. China Daily. 6 September 2018.
  • Yang, Zheng. “China-Nordic Blue Economic Passage: Basis, Challenges and Paths”. China International Studies 78, no. 5 (2019): 29-49.
  • Zhang Xia, China’s Arctic Interests and Policy, (Shanghai: Current Affairs Publishing House, 2015).

China's Polar Silk Road: Opportunities and Challenges for Nordic Arctic

Year 2022, Volume: 4 Issue: 3, 299 - 326, 01.10.2022
https://doi.org/10.53451/ijps.1152777

Abstract

Son zamanlardaki küresel ve çevresel değişiklikler, Kuzey Kutbu bölgesinin artan önemine işaret etmektedir. Çin tarafından Kutup İpek Yolu (PSR) politika çerçevesinin benimsenmesiyle, bölgedeki İskandinav ülkeleri için ortaya çıkan fırsatlar ve zorluklar daha fazla ilgi görüyor.
Bu makale, artan küresel belirsizliklerin gölgesinde Arktik deniz yollarının geliştirilmesi ve kullanımına ilişkin çeşitli plan ve projeleri incelemektedir. Tarafların, PSR çerçevesinde entegre projelerden daha fazla fayda elde etmek için ikili ve çok taraflı bağlamlarda yakınsak tercihlere yönelik çabaları kolaylaştırabileceğini öne sürüyor. Çin-İskandinav işbirliğinin iyileştirilmesine yönelik tüm önemli kanıtlara rağmen, küresel yönetişime yönelik koordineli politikalara odaklanılarak, ortak çıkarları barındırarak ve sürdürülebilir kalkınmayı teşvik ederek engellerin aşılması gerekiyor.

References

  • “A Parliamentary Resolution on Iceland’s Arctic Policy”. Reykjavik: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iceland. 28 March 2011.
  • Biedermann, Reinhard. “Exploring Sino-Russian-Nordics Triangular Relations: Complex Balancing Along The Polar Silk Road”. Journal of Contemporary European Studies (2021): 1-17.
  • Buchanan, Elizabeth. “Sea Cables in a Thawing Arctic”. The Interpreter. 1 February 2018.
  • “China Says Free Trade Talks with Norway Should be Accelerated”. Reuters. 2 August 2018.
  • “China Unveils Vision for ‘Polar Silk Road’ Across Arctic”. Reuters. 20 January 2018.
  • “Finland’s Strategy for the Arctic Region Government Resolution”. Helsinki: Prime Minister’s Office of Finland. 23 August 2013.
  • “Full Text: China’s Arctic Policy”. Beijing: State Council Information Office of China. 26 January 2018. http://english.www.gov.cn/archive/white_paper/2018/01/26/content_281476026660336.htm (13.07.2022).
  • “Full Text: Vision for Maritime Cooperation Under the Belt and Road Initiative”. Xinhuanet. 20 June 2017. http://english.www.gov.cn/archive/publications/2017/06/20/content_281475691873460.htm (16.07.2022).
  • Groffman, Nicolas. “Why China-Russia Relations Are Warming Up in the Arctic”. South China Morning Post. 17 February 2018.
  • “Governor Orlov Confirms China as Key Arctic Partner”. The Barents Observer. 28 December 2017.
  • Hu, Tao. “Finnair Flying High with China’s Ongoing Growth, Development”. China Daily. 15 June 2018.
  • Johnson, Simon. “Pompeo: Russia is ‘Agressive’ in Arctic, China’s Work There Also Needs Watching”. Reuters. 6 May 2019.
  • “Kiruna North Pole Ground Station (CNPGS)”. Global Security, 2021. https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/world/china/kiruna.htm (13.06.2022).
  • Kynge, James. “Chinese Purchases of Overseas Ports Top $20bn in Past Year”. Financial Times. 15 July 2018.
  • Lantaigne, Marc and Ping Su. “China’s Developing Arctic Policies: Myths and Misconceptions”. Journal of China and International Relations 3, no. 1 (2015): 1-25.
  • Liang, Youchang and Zhang Shuhui. “Norway’s Arctic Town Envisions Gateway on Polar Silk Road with Link to China”. Xinhua. 10 March 2018.
  • “Mike Pompeo Rejects Canada’s Claims to Northwest Passage as ‘Illegitimate’”. The Guardian. 7 May 2019.
  • Putin, Vladimir. “Speech at the One Belt, One Road International Forum 2017”. 14 May 2017.
  • Ryzhova, Anna. “On the Prospects for China Cooperation with the Arctic Countries”. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 2020.
  • “Sino-Nordic Relations: Opportunities and the Way Ahead”. Stockholm: ISDP, 2016. https://isdp.eu/content/uploads/2016/11/2016-Sino-Nordic-Relations-Opportunities-and-the-Way-Ahead.pdf (28.07.2022).
  • Sorensen, Camilla T. N. “Belt, Road, and Circle: The Arctic and Northern Europe in China’s Belt and Road Initiative.” In China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Changing the Rules of Globalization, edited by Wenxian Zhang, Ilan Alon and Christoph Lattemann, 95-113. Geneva: Palgrave, 2018.
  • Staalesen, Atle. “Barents Town Envisions Arctic Hub with Link to China”. The Barents Observer. 6 February 2018.
  • Staalesen, Atle. “Chinese Money for Northern Sea Route”. The Barents Observer. 12 June 2018.
  • “Sweden’s Strategy for the Arctic Region”. Sockholm: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, 2011.
  • Sverdrup-Thygeson, Bjornar and Jerker Hellström. “Introduction: Quintet Out of Tune? China’s Bilateral Relations with the Nordic States.” In Dragon in the North: The Nordic Countries’ Relations with China, edited by Bjornar Sverdrup-Thygeson, 4-10. Oslo: Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, 2016.
  • The 2021 Global Innovation Index. https://www.globalinnovationindex.org/analysis-indicator (23.06.2022). “The Polar Silk Road Attracts the World’s Attention”. People’s Daily. 28 January 2018.
  • Thordarsson, Gudlaugur T. “Iceland-China Relations Will Continue to Strenghten”. China Daily. 6 September 2018.
  • Yang, Zheng. “China-Nordic Blue Economic Passage: Basis, Challenges and Paths”. China International Studies 78, no. 5 (2019): 29-49.
  • Zhang Xia, China’s Arctic Interests and Policy, (Shanghai: Current Affairs Publishing House, 2015).
There are 29 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects International Relations
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Mustafa Tüter 0000-0002-7074-4668

Publication Date October 1, 2022
Submission Date August 2, 2022
Acceptance Date September 10, 2022
Published in Issue Year 2022 Volume: 4 Issue: 3

Cite

Chicago Tüter, Mustafa. “China’s Polar Silk Road: Opportunities and Challenges for Nordic Arctic”. International Journal of Politics and Security 4, no. 3 (October 2022): 299-326. https://doi.org/10.53451/ijps.1152777.

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