LONDON, May 24 (BBC): As soon as Magnus Mæland became mayor of a small town on Norway's northern tip in late 2023, three delegations from China came knocking on his door.
"It's because they want to be a polar superpower," he tells me.
China might not instinctively spring to mind when you think about the Arctic - but it's determined to be a big Arctic player. It's been vying to buy real estate, get involved in infrastructure projects and hopes to establish a permanent regional presence.
China already describes itself as a "near-Arctic state", even though its northernmost regional capital Harbin is on roughly the same latitude as Venice, Italy.
But the Arctic is fast becoming one of the most hotly-contested parts of the world. Beijing faces stiff competition from Russia, Europe, India and the US. The race for the Arctic is on.
Climate scientists say the Arctic is warming four times faster than anywhere else. This impacts ecosystems, wildlife and local populations. The Arctic is enormous, encompassing 4% of the globe.
But global powers see a new world of opportunities opening up in the Arctic on the back of environmental changes.
The melting ice in the Arctic makes it easier to access the region's incredible natural resources - critical minerals, oil, and gas - around 30% of untapped natural gas is said to be found in the Arctic.
And it's opening up possibilities for new maritime trade routes, drastically reducing travel time between Asia and Europe. In the export business, time is money.
Superpowers join race for piece of Arctic
Critical minerals, oil, and gas - around 30pc of untapped natural gas said to be found there
FE Team | Published: May 24, 2025 22:02:50
Superpowers join race for piece of Arctic
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