'Arctic is changing, China has a growing interest': Denmark

The Arctic’s region’s character is changing. With a subzero climate and its remote location, the Arctic has stayed isolated for long. But countries like Russia and China have already set their eyes on the region in an effort to tap its vast natural resources.

Speaking at Firstpost’s IdeasPod as part of the annual Raisina Dialogue organised by ORF in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Nicolai Ruge, the Special Representative for Maritime Security in Denmark’s foreign ministry said, “There are plenty of natural resources in the high north, but they’re also very difficult, complicated and risky to exploit. But that doesn’t mean that that interest in the high north will evade and will go away. We are seeing an increased interest from China.”

China has been increasingly active in the Arctic region, pursuing a multifaceted strategy that include economic, scientific, and strategic interests.

‘Arctic is changing’

Ruge said that while countries like Denmark and Sweden and their other colleagues from the European Union are trying to keep the Arctic a low-tension area, the region is “changing”.

“Just that historically the Arctic used to be a low-tension area. We are definitely trying to keep it that way. But being realistic, it is changing. I mean, we do see a military buildup by Russia and the region and we have to respond as well,” he said, adding that Moscow is also trying to limit the freedom of navigation for its interests in the region.

‘Unclos will stand’

In anticipation of threats by belligerent countries that might harm the security of maritime theatres, the UN established a Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) that sets out a legal framework for the use of the world’s oceans and seas. 

When asked whether Unclos will be able to deter the threats from Russia and China, the Danish ambassador said, “I think in terms of Unclos will stand. There are so many global interests in what Uncloss stands for and I think it will stand because we all benefit from global trade and the majority of global trade is transported on the high seas.”