New Article: ‘Identity and Relationship-Building in China’s Arctic Diplomacy’

A new article has been published this week, via the Arctic Institute, by Marc Lanteigne, Chief Editor of OtC, about China’s efforts to develop an Arctic identity through various initiatives consistent with the international relations concept of ‘relational theory’, which has been developing over the past few years in various fields of Chinese IR.

Over the past decade, Beijing has been seeking to define itself at a ‘near-Arctic state’ (jin beiji guojia 近北极国家), but in recent years has encountered resistance, especially from the United States, as Washington has attempted to de-legitimise China as a regional stakeholder. Nonetheless, though various policies, including adding the Arctic Ocean to the maritime elements of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and various bilateral and multilateral diplomatic ties, China has continued to develop a distinctive Arctic identity which may factor into future questions surrounding regional governance.

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‘Identity and Relationship-Building in China’s Arctic Diplomacy,’ The Arctic Institute, 28 April 2020, <https://www.thearcticinstitute.org/identity-relationship-building-china-arctic-diplomacy/>.

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