MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
For the first time, there is a regular cargo shipping route through the Arctic. Cargo ships have occasionally navigated along Russia's northern coast, but they usually need icebreakers as escorts. Now, climate change and melting sea ice mean a company based in China can take that path through the summer months. I'm going to ask Marc Lanteigne about this. He's a professor at the Arctic University of Norway, where he researches the politics of the polar region and China. Good morning, Professor. Thanks for joining us.
MARC LANTEIGNE: Good morning. Thank you.
MARTIN: Set the scene for us briefly, if you would. What's this route like? And how do ships navigate it?
LANTEIGNE: Well, this route runs from Northeast Asia to Northern Europe, following the Siberian coast. So it's a route that Russia and China have been trying to develop for future Arctic shipping.
MARTIN: So why is China so interested in this?
LANTEIGNE: China's interested because it is trying to open up new markets, including in Europe and other parts of the Northern Hemisphere. And using this particular route will cut a significant amount of time, as much as two weeks off traditional routes, like, for example, through the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean.
MARTIN: And it's my understanding that Western nations don't use this path. Am I right about that? And if not, why not?
LANTEIGNE: You're absolutely right, and there's two reasons for this. First of all, because the route primarily goes through Russian waters, there would be significant geopolitical problems in using the route. And the second problem is there's a lot of concern over the environmental impact of increased sea traffic. So that's discouraged a lot of companies from using the route.
MARTIN: So you just told us it primarily passes through Russian waters, so this would imply that there's cooperation - right? - between China and Russia?
LANTEIGNE: Very much so. There's been a series of agreements between the two countries to develop Russian Arctic lands and waters, and China sees this route as essential for its maritime trade, so it's been quite satisfied working with Moscow on this.
MARTIN: But what does that cooperation - I don't know, what's the word I'm looking for? - indicate here for the balance of power in the Arctic?
LANTEIGNE: It indicates that, first of all, China sees the Arctic as extremely important, both economically and politically, and is willing to work with Russia. Moscow, meanwhile, obviously does not have a lot of partners in the West to develop its Arctic lands and waters, so it sees China as an essential component of that.
MARTIN: Are you surprised by this? I mean, somebody who's been studying the politics of the region for some time. It seems to have - perhaps I'm wrong here, but this seems to have come together rather quickly.
LANTEIGNE: Well, I'm not too surprised because China did make a few experimental cargo runs as early as 2013, but there were some setbacks, not only the pandemic, but also the aftershocks of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Nevertheless, China has been talking for years about the economic possibilities of the Arctic. And I know that many Chinese companies are looking to the Arctic as a very important emerging route.
MARTIN: Do you have a sense of what this could mean for the global economy? I mean, there have been so many disruptions because of the Strait of Hormuz being closed, because - you know, so many factors here, you know, the Trump administration's tariff regimen, and so forth. But sort of taking the - sort of the macro view here, could this have an impact in making goods cheaper?
LANTEIGNE: It very well might. Like, at the moment, it is still very difficult to send ships through there. Even under the best conditions, you still have to worry about weather, sea ice, many hazards. But China's looking ahead. They're looking ahead to the point where the Arctic becomes even more popular as a sea route. And as you point out, issues with the Strait of Hormuz have illustrated the problems with other choke points, so China is really looking to the future on this.
MARTIN: So you're joining us from Tromso, which is in the far north of Norway. This route, as I understand it, passes right by your city. So what has been the conversation about this? What do the Arctic nations think about China establishing this shipping service?
LANTEIGNE: Yes, we're well north of the Arctic Circle, and there's a lot of discussion here about what the development of the Polar Silk Road, as China likes to call it, will mean, what this is going to mean for an increase in traffic, as well as what could be the potential kind of security applications because there's also the question of, OK, which ships are going to be using the route, and will that create security issues here?
MARTIN: That is Marc Lanteigne. He's a professor at the Arctic University of Norway. Professor, thanks so much for joining us. I hope you'll keep us apprised of these developments.
LANTEIGNE: Will do. Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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