The Asian Role in the Arctic's Development

Abstract

Due to the Arctic's warming climate, the region is developing at a record pace. Fueled by the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and natural resources, commerce in the Arctic is expanding to include non-Arctic states, most notably China, South Korea, and Japan. This paper examines the factors that facilitate Asian involvement in the Russian Arctic. The paper finds three major factors: the Asian demand for energy and Russia's willingness to supply energy; Russia's increasing business ties with Asian industries for Arctic equipment and investment; and each country's regard for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Arctic Council. The paper concludes that these trends are likely to continue for the near future and that Asia's involvement in the Russian Arctic will be an enduring feature of Arctic politics.