The expert spoke about the interaction between the Russian Federation and China in the Arctic

Russian-Chinese cooperation is an important driving force for the sustainable development of the Arctic and Siberia, Vitaly Mankevich, chairman of the All-Russian public organization Russian-Asian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, told Sputnik at the round table “International cooperation in the field of sustainable socio-economic development of Siberia and the Arctic.”

Mankiewicz noted that the Arctic region today is of strategic importance for most countries of the world, and among the non-Arctic countries, China is especially interested in it. According to him, the parties are working on a number of important projects in the Arctic – for example, an agreement for the construction of an Arctic hydrogen energy station “Snezhinka” in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

“Entrepreneurs in the Arctic regions of Russia would like to supply products to China; goods have begun to be sent from Arkhangelsk via the Northern Sea Route to China. Scientists in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug plan to work together with Chinese specialists as part of projects to study permafrost,” Mankevich said. He also said that China offered Russia technologies that were used in the construction of the Tibetan high-speed railway and could be used to build infrastructure in the Arctic.

According to him, the existing cooperation between Russia and China in the Arctic could be complemented by interaction in the field of environmental protection, joint development of the Northern Sea Route, and the design and construction of icebreakers.

In March, Russian President Vladimir Putin, following the results of extended negotiations between the Russian and Chinese delegations, announced that Russia and China are ready to create a working body for the development of the Northern Sea Route. He stated that he considers cooperation with Chinese partners to develop the transit potential of the Northern Sea Route promising. On October 17, at the opening ceremony of the III International Forum “One Belt, One Road” in China, Putin invited partner countries to actively use the transit potential of the Northern Sea Route and invited interested states to directly participate in its development.