Arctic shipping on the political radar
The completion of a direct shipping route between China and Europe via the Northern Sea Route is being touted as a way to help the UK “reconfigure its trading relationships and strengthen global connectivity”.
Arctic shipping is back on the agenda after Chinese container service Sea Legend completed a direct shipping route between China and Europe via the Northern Sea Route in the Arctic.
The Istanbul Bridge arrived at the port of Felixstowe earlier this week, completing the 7,500 nautical mile journey from Ningbo-Zhoushan in China to Felixstowe in the UK in just 20 days.
During five days of that transit time, the Istanbul Bridge sailed through Russia’s Northern Sea Route at an average speed of 17 knots. The ship, adapted to the Ice-1 classification, received no guidance from an icebreaker and sailed independently along the entire route. The Istanbul Bridge called at Felixstowe before sailing to Rotterdam.
Highly controversial
The Northern Sea Route is traditionally only open from May to the end of September. Sea Legend reportedly plans to develop a regular summer schedule and has started planning year-round activities in the future. This would require support from an icebreaker.
The Northern Sea Route and other Arctic routes are a contentious issue. In August 2018, Maersk became the first carrier to establish a commercial container service on the Northern Sea Route when it sailed the feeder-class Venta Maersk from Vladivostok to St Petersburg, with a stop in Bremerhaven. Since then, western operators have largely withdrawn from this route for environmental and political reasons.
Polar Silk Road
China first announced its plans for a ‘Polar Silk Road’ in 2018, when it declared itself a ‘near-Arctic state’, even though the northernmost part of the country is 5,000 nautical miles from the Bering Strait. The five-year plan for 2021-2025 states that China will “actively participate in the development of Arctic and Antarctic regions” and “engage in pragmatic cooperation in the Arctic”.
China’s determination to play a role in the Arctic has major geopolitical implications for Russia and the West. While Russia may welcome Chinese investment in infrastructure projects, it has expanded its military presence in the region to protect its strategic interests.
Russia and China may be ‘partners’ but they are also rivals, and Moscow is also concerned about the integrity of its long border with China as Chinese civil society expands into and ‘takes over’ the sparsely populated Russian Far East.
Threat to Arctic ecosystems and communities
In the mean time, non-Chinese carriers are still staying away. In late September, MSC issued a statement confirming its intention to avoid the Northern Sea Route. According to MSC, the route is “still underdeveloped for commercial shipping, as safe navigation and transit are not guaranteed”. Moreover, “increased transit traffic in the Arctic may also affect the region’s fragile ecosystem and ice sheets. More ships using the Northern Sea Route may also affect remote communities in the Arctic by congesting existing shipping lanes and delaying necessary traffic, which is essential for their survival and prosperity.”
According to MSC, “there is no operational reason for our fleet and independent network to transit the Arctic, as we have the capacity and resources to safely and reliably transport our customers’ cargo worldwide without using the Northern Sea Route.”
Chinese promotion
In contrast, Sea Legend notes that the Northern Sea Route reduces transit time and fuel consumption and avoids sailing through high-risk conflict areas around Somalia and the Red Sea. This message is now being promoted in the UK through sponsored media content paid for by EC Strategies, a Hong Kong-based “strategic consultancy”. In an advertorial on the student-run website Politics UK, EC Strategies states that “a new Arctic container shipping route between China and Europe could bring direct benefits to the UK economy, with Felixstowe becoming the central European hub for first trips.”
An unnamed logistics analyst is quoted as saying, “Securing Felixstowe as the gateway to Europe for this route underlines the UK’s continued importance as a trade destination…. It is not just about faster delivery, but also about anchoring Britain in emerging supply chains at a time when the global economy is becoming fragmented.”
It is argued that supporting the new route will put Britain in a better position to push for environmental protection measures and regulations. An unnamed maritime consultant is quoted as concluding, “Trade policy is shifting north. If Felixstowe anchors this Arctic route, Britain can create a role for itself in the next chapter of global shipping.
Source: World Cargo News.
Image: Arctic Council.
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