Social SciencesInternational LawInternational RelationsDiplomacyInternational SecuritySecurity StudiesArctic Environmental GovernanceGeopoliticsIce-ocean InteractionsOcean GovernanceArctic DiplomacyArctic GeographyArctic Maritime StrategyArctic SecurityNavigable WatersNavigation In Polar WatersResearch In Polar SeasSea Ice Governance
This paper addresses how China is preparing for, and approaching the issues involved in, an ice-free Arctic Ocean. It explores the thinking of Chinese scholars and officials on the political aspects of change in the Arctic. It presents an overview of China's security, scientific, and commercial pursuits in the Arctic. It also outlines the ways in which China approaches the international politics of the Arctic. Though China does not have a coast on the Arctic Ocean, it is nevertheless interested in the shorter shipping time and access to resources that a more navigable Arctic could provide.