Page 14 - The Indian EYE 102221

OPINION OCTOBER 22, 2021 | The Indian Eye 14

What Beijing’s growing Polar silk

road means to india?

mayuri Banerjee

n its 14th Five Year Plan
released in March this year,
IChina has pledged to build
a Polar Silk Road (PSR) over
the period 2021–2025. Follow-
ing this declaration, just a few
months later in September, the
Chinese ice-breaker Xuelong 2
returned to the Shanghai port
from a 79 days’ expedition after
successfully completing China’s
12th Arctic scientific expedition.
Although the Chinese state me-
dia reported it as a purely scien- as part of its arctic strategy, china has invested heavily in its arctic diplomacy that aims to enhance china’s
tific exercise focused on under- economic opportunities and its legitimacy as a stakeholder in the region
standing the effects of climate
change on the Arctic ecology, er status. Such interests are its maritime aspirations. Since displaying its natural gas and
however, considering China’s well-orchestrated and aimed to Beijing is striving to build a blue oil basins. It is noteworthy that
latest pronouncements in the steadily build Beijing’s Polar Silk water navy which will be capable these maps are available only in
14th Five Year Plan and its pre- Road that would correspond of operating globally, the polar Chinese-language internet, thus
vious statements on the impor- with its flagship Belt and Road regions are seen as crucial ele- demonstrating China’s reluc-
tance of Arctic region in China’s Initiative (BRI). In many ways, ments to realise such a capability. tance to give away its intentions
national security, it remains to the speech delivered by Presi- to the international community.
be stated that these expeditions dent Xi Jinping in 2014 in Aus- From an economic per- China perceives the Arctic
are meant for more than scien- tralia arrived as a prelude, clear- spective, china sees the as the new frontier of great pow-
tific knowledge. Beijing’s grow- ly articulating Beijing’s intent to er competition and is anxious
ing foreign policy interests in incorporate the polar regions arctic as a major source about losing out in that com-
the Arctic have raised eyebrows within China’s greater maritime of energy security and petition. Its internal discourse
amongst the Euro-Asian com- strategy, explore their resources on the Arctic, describe the re-
munity, including India which and subsequently emerge as a thus has a keen interest gion as an ungoverned space
is aiming to make its presence polar great power. As an exer- in exploiting its natural and point towards the military
counted in the Arctic region. cise in this direction, four years and economic endeavours un-
New Delhi has exhibited signifi- later, Beijing published a white resources like polar min- dertaken by the major powers
cant interest in the Arctic affairs. paper to forcefully project it- erals, oil, natural gas and like the US, Russia and Cana-
In 2013, New Delhi acquired self as a significant stakeholder da to assert control. Therefore,
the observer status in the Arctic in the region and propound its fish stock along with util- Chinese strategists and experts
Council and in January 2021, it focus areas in the Arctic. In a ising it for trade, trans- argue that in order to secure
proposed India’s Draft Arctic bid to validate China’s claims unfettered strategic and eco-
Policy elaborating its stand on on 001Arctic resources, the portation and tourism. nomic access to the Arctic, Chi-
the Arctic. What China’s grow- document termed China as a na should move rapidly.
ing inroads into the Arctic and “near Arctic state” and insisted In this regard, the White Pa- As part of its Arctic strategy,
its ambition to execute a Polar on “respect” and recognition of per overtly exhibited Beijing’s China has invested heavily in
Silk Road means to India? China’s rights and freedom in interest by asserting China’s its Arctic diplomacy that aims
the region. Highlighting China’s freedom or rights of scientific to enhance China’s economic
china’s interests and commercial interests in Arctic research, navigation, overflight, opportunities and its legitimacy
shipping routes, resource explo- fishing, laying of submarine as a stakeholder in the region.
strategies in the arctic ration and tourism, the docu- cables, pipelines and resource Therefore, Beijing has adopted

hina’s interests in the ment explicitly outlined the core exploration. Further, to expe- a multifaceted approach that
Arctic are threefold—ex- areas Beijing intends to venture dite China’s future exploratory includes developing scientific
Cecute strategic ambition, into in the coming years. activities, the Chinese govern- and economic partnerships with
enhance economic supremacy, China’s strategic interest in ment even prepared and pub- the Nordic countries, collabo-
and acquire polar great pow- the Arctic is related primarily to lished Arctic resource maps Continued on next page... >>

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