Understanding China’s Arctic Policy in the context of Belt and Road Initiative

• Main Author: Hüseyin Korkmaz
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Turkish
• Published: International Journal of Politic and Security 2021
• Subjects: china; the rise of china; arctic; belt and road inıtiative; Political science (General); JA1-92; Arctic; glacier
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/b82e94498fba48d0aa4de24dd5684764

Belt and Road Initiative is a trade network design put forward by China that aims to reach every region on a global scale. The geopolitical and trade value of the Arctic is increasingly important as a result of the glacier melting and climatic changes. This study examines the characteristics of China's Arctic policy and its relationship with the belt-road initiative through the 'white paper' published in 2018. The economic and diplomatic manoeuvres that China has put forward in its foreign policy in the context of the belt and road initiative also show itself in the example of the arctic. In this study, the relationship between the belt and road initiative with China's arctic policy will be analyzed. This relationship has a connection with the proactive approach that China has put forward in its foreign policy with its rise. This link seems to make sense in a global context. Therefore, a global analysis to understand China's interest in the arctic will be a contributing effort. Striving to establish a global trade network with the Belt and Road Initiative, China places a special emphasis on the arctic because of the shortening of shipping routes and being an alternative trade line. In this study, it was argued that China's interest in the arctic increased due to the belt and road initiative and that its geopolitical and trade potential as an alternative corridor was noticed. While this awareness moves towards a strategic partnership with Russia in the region, it can also come to the fore as a new conflict area in the competition with the USA. Anahtar Kelimeler