Relative information:

Written by: Stephanie Pezard

Title: The New Geopolitics of the Arctic Russia's and China's Evolving Role in the Region

Publication: RAND Corporation, 1-8.

Publishing language: English.

Date: November 26, 2018

Paper review:

Analysis of this scientific paper was conducted from a geopolitical perspective over the past 5 to 10 years of 2018. Generally, there are 2 big blocks of this article, Russia and China. Russia has increased assertiveness in the Arctic, despite of this mainstream of Russia’s relationship with other Arctic states are more cooperative than tense. And China, an representative of non-Arctic states, are showing their big interest in Arctic development. With the identity of so called “near Arctic country”, China’s motivations received broad suspects. In the end the author highlighted that Arctic has gradually get rid of the identity as a margin, and its geopolitical, energy-related and military importance became increasingly obvious.

In the first part, author explained why the Arctic is vital for Russia from 4 aspects, including inhabitants, energy, Northern Sea Route, and a member of NATO. After that, author laid great stress on Russia’s increasing military power in the Arctic, for instance, airfields, northern command, icebreaker fleet, which can be used as a compensation of the first part of my master thesis written in the April. What’s more interesting, it was directly pointed out that “Russia presents the development of its Arctic-based military capabilities as defensive”, supported by series of actions, like deploying missile systems and conclusions from annexation of Crimea and proxy war in eastern Ukraine. Besides military, tensions with Russia tend to focus on the European Arctic, rather than the North American Arctic. Although Canada mainly concern potential confrontation with NATO, cooperation still prevailed others. Sweden and Finland are not NATO members, but their signing in 2016 of host-nation support agreements make them closer to the Atlantic alliance.

So far, China has remained within the boundaries of existing treaties and principles regulating Arctic affairs, and its Arctic Strategy reaffirms the authority of these rules, it cannot be excluded that China might try to impose its own interpretation of maritime international law in other regions (according to the author). There’s no doubt that China’s participation involving FDI, in order to ensure economic profit, economic involvement might eventually lead to some form of military presence. China’s current participation in the Arctic remains moderate, except Yamal project with Russia. Relevant information will be helpful for my master thesis. China is only a typical example of non-Arctic country, or a near Arctic state, or an observer of Arctic affairs, still other countries with similar identities all want to find an excuse to participant in Arctic affairs, like India, Japan, Korea etc.

Still, analysis of this paper by the author is more close to politics rather than economy. There are some wordings concerning about China’s political issue are not appropriate at least from my own perspective, so I keep my reservations about it.