Xue Long 2 on sea trials. Photo by PRIC.

This is about a year old, but somehow, I apparently missed commenting on it when it first came out.

The Watch Reports,

As the largest non-Arctic country, and one which has often referred to itself as a near-Arctic state, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) finds itself in a more precarious position in the region as compared to five years ago when it launched its ambitious white paper, which proclaimed Chinese interests in being a key stakeholder in the far north. Beijing’s plans for the Arctic assumed that the region would be open and amenable to the development of three main pillars of Chinese Arctic policy, namely scientific diplomacy, economic partnerships and participation in regional governance initiatives. All three of these pillars are now under pressure, which has underscored the PRC’s limitations in the Arctic and will inevitably force a rethinking and likely a retrenchment of the country’s far-northern interests.

The report notes,

Despite hopes in Beijing that the PRC’s Polar Silk Road initiative would emerge as an integral part of the overall Belt and Road framework, many centerpiece projects of the infrastructure initiative have either failed or are in doubt because of financial constraints, political opposition or some combination thereof.

The “no limits” partnership between China and Russia has always been one of opportunism. There is a natural antipathy between the two countries. China has never forgotten the unequal treaties imposed on them by European powers including Russia, that stripped away Chinese territory, including important parts of what is now Russia’s Asian holdings.

Facing frustration in the Arctic. Do not be surprised to see China double down on its efforts in Antarctica.