Is China-Russia cooperation in the Arctic a double-edged sword for Beijing?
- China’s expanding interests in the region could see it caught in the crossfire between Moscow and the West’s power contest, observers say
- At the same time, Russia’s willingness to strike scientific and economic partnerships align with Beijing’s Arctic ambitions
The Arctic Ocean – sandwiched between North America, Europe and Asia – was one of the most mysterious front lines in the great power rivalry of the Cold War, where Soviet and US submarines shadowed each other beneath the ice.
Decades later, deteriorating relations between Russia and the West – exacerbated by the war in Ukraine – have ignited fears that the frozen region could once again become an arena for geopolitical contest.
During the Cold War, the Arctic offered the shortest flight paths for intercontinental missiles and nuclear-armed bombers between the then Soviet Union and the Nato allies.
Now the rapid shrinking of the region’s ice caps is also offering new sea lanes and access to precious resources, fuelling concerns that the Arctic could emerge as one of the most strategically valuable maritime routes in the world.
And China – which has been expanding its economic, scientific, cultural and diplomatic engagement with several Arctic countries in recent years – is facing a growing risk of being caught in the crossfire, observers say.