On some aspects of Arctic transit – Chinese vision

Abstract

Today, cooperation between Russia and China is actively developing in the field of Arctic exploration, since both countries are interested in the development of navigation along the Northern Sea Route and the extraction of hydrocarbons in the region. Russia is interested in attracting Chinese investments and technologies, and can provide China with access to resources and the northern transport artery. The article examines the view of Chinese experts on the possibilities of using the Northern Sea Route for the organization of transit transportation of goods from the Asia-Pacific countries to Europe within the framework of the Belt and Road project. They note the attractiveness of the «Polar Silk Road» in terms of a significant reduction in the distance of Eurasian container transportation and fuel economy when choosing the Russian Northern Sea Route. However, in their opinion, the development of container transportation will become a matter of the future, since today it is impossible to organize a full-fledged linear service in the Arctic due to unfavorable factors – weather restrictions (difficult ice conditions), underdevelopment of the Russian port infrastructure, increasing the likelihood of Arctic risks and, as a result, Arctic freight rates. Chinese experts are confident that Russia and China should quickly reach a concrete agreement on cooperation in the region within the framework of the Chinese megaproject «Belt and Road». Moreover, the involvement of the Russian side, in addition to budget expenditures and private capital investments, as well as Chinese technologies and investments, will allow the Russian Arctic infrastructure to meet the requirements of the international transport transit corridor in 10 years

Keywords

• russia
• china
• the arctic
• “belt and road”
• the northern sea route
• transit
• port infrastructure
• container ships.