Country sets out on 'ice-breaking' journey

China is still exploring the best ways and are as to participate and play a constructive role in Arctic affairs, a Chinese official said on Saturday.

Addressing a report session of the current Arctic Circle Assembly, Jia Guide, deputy director general of the Department of Treaty and Law of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said China's engagement in the Arctic is in its early stage, and China is still exploring how best to play a constructive role in Arctic affairs.

Describing it as an ice-breaking journey, Jia said that China is ready for pragmatic cooperation with Arctic countries.

Referring to China-Nordic Arctic cooperation, Jia said China's engagement in the Arctic is closely related to those of the Nordic countries.

In recent years, China-Nordic Arctic cooperation has advanced in a multilevel and wide-ranging manner, he said.

China has close communication and coordination with Nordic countries in the Arctic Council in terms of political cooperation, he said, noting that frequent interaction and close cooperation between the research institutes and experts of both sides have resulted in a number of important achievements in terms of scientific cooperation.

China-Nordic Arctic cooperation has been expanding from research areas to ship-building, shipping and resource development, Jia said.

As a near-Arctic state, he said, China is affected in a major way by the natural changes, economic developments and social changes in the Arctic, as reflected in China's climate, ecological environment and agricultural production as well as social and economic development. Therefore, China has had a growing interest in Arctic affairs in recent years.

With the accelerated melting of ice and snow in the Arctic, China is beginning to pay attention to the potentially profound impact that may be brought by opening Arctic shipping lanes and developing the area, he said.

China is ready to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with all Arctic countries and to contribute to tackling trans-regional challenges in the Arctic and promoting sustainable development of the area.

China-Nordic Arctic cooperation is part of such exploration, Jia said. When the cooperation deepens with time, the fact will speak for itself that in the Arctic, "we come in peace, we come with goodwill, and we come for cooperation", he added.