Article content continued

Photo by AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

With China promising spending in excess of $1 trillion, it could be one of the largest economic undertakings in human history.

Like China, non-Arctic nations such as Japan, Germany, the U.K. and France have released official Arctic policies.

However, China’s policy is notable for its apparent overtures to woo liberal Arctic powers such as Norway, Canada and the United States. The document makes repeated references to sustainability, Indigenous rights, wildlife protections and the respect of international law. China’s presence in the Arctic will realize “harmonious coexistence between man and nature,” it reads.

And even with large chunks of the resource-rich Arctic sea floor still technically up for grabs, the document is careful to note that China has no territorial claims on the area’s oil, gas or mineral resources.

Photo by The Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward

“’Respect’ is the key basis for China’s participation in Arctic affairs. Respect should be reciprocal,” it reads.

Joël Plouffe, a fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, said the document is heavy on politeness because it is attempting to frame China as a responsible player in a region where it has no actual sovereignty. However, with the paper short on specifics, he added that it is “more intentions and hopes than an actual strategy.”

China has been gradually attempting to get a toehold in the Arctic since at least the 1990s.

The country is increasingly a presence at Arctic diplomatic gatherings. Since 2013, China has had observer status at the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental organization that brokers polar agreements. In November, China was a key non-arctic signatory to an agreement to prevent commercial fishing in Arctic international waters.