DefinePK

Abstract

The Arctic is a region of vast economic potential and a potential arena for global politics in the near future. The impact of global warming has ensured that the water routes through this region stay open for longer periods of time with every passing year. These routes will be the focus of contention between Arctic and near-Arctic states. As a result, the Arctic Circle can be viewed as an arena of geopolitical posturing in the near future, where border disputes and issues of sovereignty and military supremacy will dominate the discourse involving the region. Using evidence gleaned from official Chinese government sources and scholarly work on the matter, this paper seeks to answer the question of how China interprets its role within the Arctic region, and the lengths to which it willgo to carve a foothold within the region. It shall discuss Chinese interests in the Arctic and discern whether China could pose a security threat to Arctic states, and whether its aims in the region are solely economic or could also be directed towards boosting its military capabilities.