Conclusion 132

In January 2018, China published its first Arctic policy white paper setting out its ambitions in the region, in which it described itself as a “near Arctic state”. 144 The paper devotes substantial attention to the opportunities created by Arctic shipping for increased maritime activity. In the same year, the country launched its first domestically built diesel-powered icebreaker. 145 Russia and China have announced the aim of establishing a “Polar silk road” connecting China with Europe via Russia’s Northern Sea Route as part of China’s wider Belt and Road development initiative. In a speech in Hobart, Australia, in 2014, China’s President Xi Jinping stated that due to “profound changes in the international system” and China’s unprecedented economic development, China would soon be “joining the ranks of the polar great powers”. 146