China Deepens Economic and Technological Ties with Russia
Dr. Andrey Krivorotov, Doctor of Science (Economics), Acting Head of Innovations Management Department, Odintsovo branch, Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University), Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia, Russian Academy of Sciences highlights China’s potential contributions in Arctic cooperation, primarily investment and technology transfer in communications and navigation systems, construction of ice-class vessels, and development of automated ports.
This partnership was further solidified with the approval of an action plan for developing shipping along the Northern Sea Route (NSR) by Russia and China at a meeting of the Subcommittee on NSR Cooperation in Harbin in October 2025.
China’s interest in NSR development stems from its desire to diversify its export routes. As a nation heavily reliant on maritime trade, accounting for 90% of its exports, China seeks alternative pathways beyond the Strait of Malacca, which faces potential closure threats during geopolitical crises.
“Transit via the NSR will never be able to fully replace the existing main route, but it certainly offers some freedom of choice. This freedom is especially valuable today, when acute regional conflicts have become a reality in the Indian Ocean region, including those involving nuclear (or potentially nuclear) states – India and Pakistan, Iran and Israel,”
— the expert noted
Moreover, China has substantially expanded its fleet of icebreaking research vessels. While the veteran vessel «Snow Dragon» primarily fulfills auxiliary roles, supporting China’s polar stations, it is now joined by four new icebreakers, two of which were constructed in 2024 alone. Facing restrictions imposed by Western nations on access to Arctic zones, Chinese scientists increasingly rely on the NSR as an alternative route for research endeavors.
The expert assesses the current geopolitical landscape for cooperation as highly favorable for collaborative efforts. Russia’s Foreign Policy Concept, approved in March 2023, not only invites ‘friendly’ states to cooperate in the Arctic but also, for the first time, allows for their participation in the infrastructure development of the Northern Sea Route.
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