Over the Circle

The devastation brought to the Caribbean this month, including to the US Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, caused by Hurricane Maria has once again pushed a nearly century-old law back into the spotlight. From its introduction, the Jones Act [pdf], as part of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, has been subject to a great deal of… Continue reading Puerto Rico and the Jones Act: The Alaska Connection →

                    This week it was announced that China’s second icebreaking vessel, currently under construction at Jiangnan shipyard (Shanghai) to be the sister ship of the icebreaker Xuelong or ‘Snow Dragon’ (雪龙), would be launched under the name- Xuelong 2 / Snow Dragon 2. The new ship, which will… Continue reading Double Dragon: China’s Next Icebreaker Gets a Name →

                  This year has been shaping up as a very active one in the field of Chinese Polar policy, with the main event being the fortieth Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting held in May in Beijing, the first time this gathering was held in China. This conference provided… Continue reading China and the Arctic: Building New Roads →

[Note: An earlier version of this article, written by the editor, appeared in the now-discontinued Arctic Journal earlier this year.] At the conclusion of the Arctic Council’s Ministerial in Fairbanks in May of this year, the main story was clearly the Agreement on Enhancing International Arctic Scientific Cooperation signed by the eight member governments and… Continue reading Switzerland and the Arctic Council: The New Kid on the Block →