Icy waters China plays the long game for polar influence

摘要

1.The late 2013 Antarctic rescue mounted by the Chinese icebreaker Xue Long highlighted increasing Chinese interest in the polar regions, although Beijing has more pressing foreign policy goals than polar issues. 2.The Arctic will be more crucial to Chinese interests than the Antarctic in the coming decades, although Beijing is constrained by a limited ice-capable surface fleet. 3.Aiming for full blue-water navy status by 2050, China is a long way from being a major actor in the polar regions, and appears content to play a long game.