In July 2008, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) announced that 13% of undeveloped crude oil and 30% of natural gas are sleeping in the Arctic waters, and  the interest of each country has increased for the energy resources in the Arctic waters. (Photo taken from Yahoo image, Arctic Ocean)

China's Xi Jinping regime to promote the approach of belonging countries to the Arctic Circle in 2016, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) relating to the joint promotion of the Arctic scientific research between the Danish Greenland autonomous government. In addition to research fields, economic expansion will accelerate.

Former President Donald Trump tweeted "Acquisition of Greenland" on this site "U.S. Administration Restores Relations with Denmark-Checking China and Russia Entering the Arctic Region" (May 18 issue). To be sure, the U.S. relationship with Denmark was jerky, but it is said that the background of Mr. Trump's tweet was that he was conscious of China's advance into Greenland.

China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), a state-owned energy company, joins a project related to the liquefied natural gas (LNG) development project in the Yamal Peninsula, Russia, which started commercial production in December 2017. China's movements have become prominent in the economic field as well, such as participating in the company and acquiring a 20% stake.

January 26, 2018, the Chinese government under the Xi Jinping regime, published for the first time the basic policy "Arctic Policy White Paper" involved in the development and utilization of the Arctic Ocean. China is positioned as the "Silk Road on Ice" (North Pole Sea Route), which extends the so-called "One Belt, One Road" strategy, which connects China and Europe by land and sea, to the Arctic Circle, and controls the entire Eurasian continent. It was perceived as equivalent to proclaiming China’s ambitions both inside and outside the country.

In response, the Trump administration attended a ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council held in Finland in May 2019, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attending to clarify his stance of emphasizing the Arctic in terms of national security. In an annual Pentagon report, the U.S. warned that "China is likely to deploy submarines in the Arctic" in the name of deterring nuclear attacks in relation to China's military and security.

The United States threatened China because the country, which does not own territory in the Arctic region, positioned itself as a "country close to the Arctic" in the "White Paper on Arctic Policy." Compared to the countries located in the Southern Hemisphere, the distance between China and the North Pole is certainly short, but many people may find the expression "close" to be uncomfortable. It is self-evident that the one-sided creation of artificial islands in the South China Sea has become a military base, and it is appropriate to consider the Arctic Circle as well.

To focus on China's developments, this article does not delve into the U.S. and Russian strategies in the Arctic, but Russia and the U.S. have been military in the region for more than a decade before China's expansion into the Arctic became apparent. It goes without saying that the exercises have come to be repeated frequently.

The Arctic Circle is now a cornerstone of geopolitical risk in security areas such as the environment, military, economy and underground resources. Unlike Antarctica, in the Arctic, where there is no land, there is no international agreement equivalent to the Antarctic Treaty, which freezes the sovereignty of each country. Amid concerns that the area of sea ice will continue to decrease due to the effects of global warming, a blank sea area that does not belong to any country will be created depending on the delineation when defining the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the expanding sea area. There is a high possibility.

As long as there are no universal rules, the role of the Arctic Council will become even more important. Prior to this ministerial meeting, the U.S. President Joe Biden stabbed a nail to prevent provocative acts against China and Russia. Even after the transition from the Trump administration to the Biden administration, the U.S. administration's policy of emphasizing the Arctic policy seems to have been restrained.

According to international reports, after the meeting that closed on the 20th, the participating ministers published the "Reykjavik Declaration" and adopted a strategic plan up to 2030. They agreed to promote environmental protection and sustainable economic development.

The main theme of discussions at the Arctic Council is environmental issues, which was the original purpose of the discussion. Since the military and security fields are out of the scope of discussion, it is an urgent issue to create comprehensive international rules that include these fields.

The wisdom of the international community is required to avoid conflicts as the thoughts of each country are mixed. However, it is a serious question whether China, which disregards law and order, will cooperate. China should fulfill its responsibilities as a great power.

Jiro Arihara

Journalist based in Tokyo.

In addition to approaching trends in international politics and the world

economy from the perspective of resources such as energy, minerals, food & grain etc.