Ten years ago, five Asian states – China, India, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea – jointed the Arctic Council as observers. How have their Arctic policies evolved since then?
The Polar Policies in China’s New Five-Year Plan
The inclusion of Arctic and Antarctic policies within the new FYP represents the emerging importance of the two poles to China.
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March 12, 2021
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The release this week by the Chinese government of its 14th Five-Year Plan (FYP), which will guide the country’s economic policies until 2025, was swiftly and predictably put under a microscope within the country, as well as by the international community. Included within the plan, and representing a significant shift from previous like policy documents, was a brief but telling statement confirming Beijing’s interest in further developing the Polar Silk Road as a component of the wider Belt and Road Initiative, while calling for further engagement with both the Arctic Ocean region and Antarctica.