s the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) completes its first five years, not much is known about its forays into previously inaccessible parts of the Arctic region. Surprisingly, having made some headway there and actually made some sea- routes operational, China’s exploration and development of the Arctic may also be another indicator of progress. Much less publicized than other aspects of the BRI, it is a good time for an update about the Arctic territory and its difficult shipping routes, which used to remain under ice for the better part of the year. Known as the Polar Silk Road, this part is usually perceived as an “extension” of the BRI, and development plans for this route were first referred to in the BRI papers as the “Vision for Maritime Co-operation.” Catching people’s attention, this unusual project came at a time when the world started experiencing climate change, and global warming melted the ice in the polar regions. It has been these modified temperatures that made t...
Foreign Affairs Journalist and geopolitical analyst with special focus on the Belt and Road Initiative, CPEC and South Asia