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China and Arctic energy: drivers and limitations

The Polar Journal (ISSN (imprimé) : 2154-896X/ISSN (en ligne) : 2154-8978) est une revue publiée deux fois par an. L’éditeur-en-chef est Anne-Marie Brady, professeur à l’université de Canterbury (Nouvelle Zélande).

La dernière livraison (vol. 6, 2016) comprend, outre l’éditorial, deux articles en téléchargement libre : l’un consacré à la Chine et l’Arctique, l’autre à la Russie et l’Antarctique. Anne-Marie Brady est co-auteur de ce dernier article.

Weidacher, Christopher Hsiung. China and Arctic energy : drivers and limitations. The Polar Journal, vol. 6, 2016,  pp. 243-258. URL : http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2154896X.2016.1241486 (consulté le 5 janvier 2016)

rpol20-v006-i02-coverChina’s growing demand for oil and gas is forcing the country to look abroad to secure new sources of imports. The Arctic region, rich in oil and gas resources, could function as such a source, and Chinese oil companies have already started to engage in oil and gas exploration and production there. The literature has tended to take this as evidence that China will become an increasingly active and important player in Arctic oil and gas resource developments, and the sanctions imposed on Russia’s energy sector by the USA and the EU following the Russian annexation of Crimea are seen as further opening up possibilities for greater Chinese participation. This article, however, argues that China’s Arctic oil and gas interests are in fact modest. Domestic views on Chinese involvement in Arctic gas and resource development have been mixed and cautious, indicating a wait-and-see approach. There have been few concrete Chinese investments further indicating limited interest. Only the onshore Yamal LNG project in the Russian Arctic can be characterised as substantial Chinese participation. Moreover, the challenges and high costs of oil and gas production in the Arctic, China’s increased import options, the current economic slowdown in China and security developments in the Arctic region all impact China’s motivations and possibilities for participation in the development of Arctic energy resources.

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Carter, Perry ; Anne-Marie Brady ; Evgeny Pavlov. Russia’s “smart power” foreign policy and Antarctica. The Polar Journal, vol. 6, 2016,  pp. 259-272. URL : http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2154896X.2016.1257102 (consulté le 5 janvier 2016)

If the anarchy of the international system obliges states to pursue a foreign policy aimed at increasing their economic and military power in order to ensure their own security, then the interests of a number of states in Antarctica require further explanation. Despite the debateable value of the Antarctic region from the perspective of a strategy of hard power; the authors argue that Russian interests in Antarctica can also be seen as part of a strategy of maximising so-called “smart power”. Russia’s Antarctic policy aims to forward national interests as well as strengthening the nation’s internal and external image as a state committed to cooperatively resolving global problems. Russia’s recent significant expenditures in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean indicate the existence of a long-term foreign policy strategy on the part of the Russian leadership.

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Monique Abud

Centre d'études sur la Chine moderne et contemporaine, EHESS, Paris, France

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OpenEdition vous propose de citer ce billet de la manière suivante :
Monique Abud (9 janvier 2017). China and Arctic energy: drivers and limitations. Carnets du Centre Chine (CNRS/EHESS). Consulté le 7 février 2025 à l’adresse https://doi.org/10.58079/mfxg


Monique Abud

Centre d'études sur la Chine moderne et contemporaine, EHESS, Paris, France

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