The Arctic region has received a great amount of attention in the past years, especially from world powers such as the United States, Russia and China. The publication of strategic documents which refer to the Arctic increased in frequency over the 2010s. In 2018, following the publication of the first Arctic Strategy, China joined the competition for natural resources and economic influence. A rapprochement between Russia and China can be observed in international relations, with implications for their relations with the United States. With the growing power of the Middle Kingdom, the position of the US as a superpower is in jeopardy.

Patrycja Dańda

KBN Analysis no. 6 (101) / 2022

5 February 2022

The Arctic region has received a great amount of attention in the past years, especially from world powers such as the United States, Russia and China. The publication of strategic documents which refer to the Arctic increased in frequency over the 2010s. In 2018, following the publication of the first Arctic Strategy, China joined the competition for natural resources and economic influence. A rapprochement between Russia and China can be observed in international relations, with implications for their relations with the United States. With the growing power of the Middle Kingdom, the position of the US as a superpower is in jeopardy.

The latest strategies discussed in this analysis, especially those published by Russia and the United States, largely focus on security issues, armaments and the protection of their zones of influence in the region. Environmental issues that affect the whole world are marginalised, especially by the United States. China’s decision of 2018 to enter the competition and improve relations with Russia may herald a new division of power in the Arctic region.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)