Sunday, May 15, 2011

China Racing for Piece of Arctic

China appears to be racing to stake its own claim for arctic resources in the polar north. Should India be worried?

Well, I don't think India can compete in the northern arctic circle, but it does have a clear view across the Indian ocean to the southern polar antarctic circle.

Meanwhile, if China increasingly uses melting northern arctic sea routes to get to Europe, then that could reduce its reliance on the String of Pearls strategy and Pakistan. The Moscow-obsessed Atlanticists could then content themselves in promoting Sino-Russian competition and rivalry in the northern arctic, as opposed to the more politically sensitive Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean.

Notice how the Chinese have quickly moved to exploit Iceland's financial distress to gain a foothold there.

1 comment:

Pagan said...

OT: One of the reactors at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi power plant did suffer a nuclear meltdown, Japanese officials admitted for the first time today, describing a pool of molten fuel at the bottom of the reactor's containment vessel.

OT2: Far from reviewing ties with Pakistan, American think tank is actually calling for strengthening the bond:
We need to mature the relationship (with Pakistan).