"Growing Concerns On What Are China's Goals In The Arctic" Topic

" U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to attend the May 6-7 Arctic Council meeting in Finland in a show of Washington's commitment to the region amid growing U.S. concern about China's interests there, a senior U.S. official said on Friday.

Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States are members of the Council, which coordinates Arctic policy and is gaining clout as sea ice thaws to open up new trade routes and intensify competition for its oil, gas and mineral resources…."

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Amicalement
Armand

Same as Russia's and America's?

China has no territorial claim to Arctic sovereignty and if they start building an island it will be subject to the most ruthless bombing campaign ever envisioned.They could always try to use the recently acquired Canadian resource companies holdings as a basis for subterfuge however.

China might be able to make claims under the Law Of the Sea Treaty (LOST), which the US never ratified.

The question is whether other signatories would honor those claims (especially Russia) if China starts encroaching on areas they are trying to claim.

More likely they would go after dry land in Antarctica, lots of potential resources on land as well as fishing. Also a long way from NATO and the Russians, and the nations with existing historical claims are not big enough to take on China, much like the South China Sea.

China's goal in the Arctic is the Northwest Passage. No, seriously.

Going over the pole to Europe would shave a month off of shipping times compared to going thru the Panama Canal.

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand