Chinese icebreaker Xue Long 2 docked at Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong, 2024.
“The research icebreaker that is owned and managed by the Chinese Polar Institute is on its annual Arctic expedition…. But the state-owned vessel is also on a political mission. The visit to Murmansk is the first ever of its kind and comes as relations between Murmansk and Beijing get increasingly intimate.”
China keeps pushing itself into the Arctic, and Russia is partnering in the effort. The excerpted article from Norway-based The Barents Observer notes that the Chinese icebreaker Xue Long 2 recently visited the Russian Arctic port of Murmansk for the first time. The article notes that the Xue Long 2 is on a scientific mission but also suggests that there is a political mission and that the port call reflects the deepening of relations between Moscow and Beijing. China is eager to expand its presence in the Arctic and have access to its resources.[i] The docking of the Xue Long 2 will likely not be the last Chinese vessel in Russia’s Arctic waters: “Beijing is increasingly interested in the Arctic and is building new vessels designed for shipping through the remote and icy waters.”[ii]Under diplomatic, military, and economic pressure, Russia has thus far been pleased to oblige, granting China more access than before to Russian Arctic waters and ports.
Sources:
Atle Staalesen, “Chinese icebreaker makes port call in Murmansk,” The Barents Observer (independent Norwegian news site in Russian and English currently blocked in Russia), 29 August 2024. https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/2024/08/chinese-icebreaker-makes-port-call-murmansk
The Russian Arctic region actively seeks to strengthen ties with Beijing. This week, a Chinese icebreaker for the first time paid a visit to Murmansk. The Xue Long 2 set out from the Chinese port city of Qingdao on the 7th of July and subsequently set course for the Bering Strait. Following its passage into the Chukchi Sea, the 122-meter-long ship is believed to have sailed towards the North Pole. One and a half months later it sailed into the Kola Bay and moored in a downtown port. Locals in the Russian Arctic city could see the vessel being assisted by tugs into the harbor area on the 28th of August.
The research icebreaker that is owned and managed by the Chinese Polar Institute is on its annual Arctic expedition. About 100 expedition members take part in research geology and geophysics of the Arctic seabed and conduct investigations of atmospheric, sea ice and marine environments.
But the state-owned vessel is also on a political mission. The visit to Murmansk is the first ever of its kind and comes as relations between Murmansk and Beijing get increasingly intimate. In May 2023, Murmansk Governor Andrei Chibis paid a visit to Shanghai as part of a major Russian delegation to the China-Russia Business Forum. During the event, a special emphasis was made on the development of the Northern Sea Route and new joint industries, among them in production and processing of minerals.
In September 2023, Chibis welcomed a Chinese business delegation to Murmansk. “We are entering a new level of partnership with China,” the regional leader said during the visit. The Chinese businessmen representing port and shipping companies stated that they were interested in the development of the Northern Sea Route. In August 2024, the Chinese MCC International Incorporation Ltd will join the development of the Kolmozerskoye lithium resources in the Kola Peninsula.
Beijing is increasingly interested in the Arctic and is building new vessels designed for shipping through the remote and icy waters. In early July this year, Chinese authorities officially commissioned its new icebreaking research vessel, the Jidi (“Polar”). At the same time, China is expanding its research activities in the far northern region, including in the Norwegian Arctic Archipelago of Svalbard.
Notes:
[i] See: Les Grau, China and Russia in Joint Venture To Mine Lithium in Arctic, OE Watch, 08-2024. (URL not yet available)
[ii] See: Les Grau, “Chinese Icebreaker Sails To The Arctic,” OE Watch, 09-2023. https://fmso.tradoc.army.mil/2023/chinese-icebreaker-sails-to-the-arctic/
Image Information:
Image: Chinese icebreaker Xue Long 2 docked at Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong, 2024.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Xue_Long_2 – /media/File:202404_Xuelong-2_in_Hong_Kong.jpg