China And Its Emerging Arctic Agenda

The gradual disappearance of the Arctic ice and increased accessibility to the region’s natural resources and shipping lanes have drawn considerable attention of non-Arctic states. Among these newcomers, China, due to its economic and military influence, occupies a prominent position. Although China has not published any official Arctic policy, it appears to be pursuing an agenda in this region. Therefore, the goal of this thesis was to identify the main characteristic features of China’s emerging Arctic agenda. Another aim was to analyze what China’s engagement with the Arctic suggests about its foreign policy behavior in more general terms. In order to do so, the thesis analyzed China’s polar capabilities and interests, its bilateral relations with Arctic states and the ideas and opinions of Chinese scholars. China’s Harmonious world theory served as a baseline for China’s engagement with the Arctic region. During the research process, qualitative methods were used, namely simple content analysis, web-site monitoring and historical research. The research resulted in postulating the main features of China’s emerging Arctic agenda. As for China’s foreign policy behavior, the study revealed that Chinese engagement with the Arctic is not about overturning the present governance system. It is about securing China’s position in the future development of the Arctic region.