China’s diplomatic visit to Norway is a reminder of its Arctic ambitions

On his first diplomatic trip since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi will stop by Italy, France, Germany, The Netherlands, and… Norway. The inclusion of a non-European Union member on a trip whose purpose is, ostensibly, to celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the People’s Republic of China and the EU, might sound surprising. But it’s a reminder that China’s strategic ambitions for Europe extend beyond the continent’s borders.

Norway is one of the world’s eight Arctic powers, along with Canada, the US, Russia, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. China views itself as a “near-Arctic” state—even though its closest border is about 900 miles away from the Arctic circle—and has long sought to expand its footprint in the region, which is rich in natural resources like oil and gas, and also fish.

In 2018, Beijing released its first “Arctic policy” white paper, which made clear that China views the Arctic as important for its future economic and geopolitical development. That’s because the polar ice caps are melting at astonishing speed due to climate change, potentially opening up sea routes that used to be unnavigable for much of the year.

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