The plan said China would “participate in pragmatic
cooperation in the North Pole” and “raise its ability to participate in the
protection and utilization of the South Pole”.
China has been eyeing lucrative mineral resources as well as
potential new shipping routes in Arctic regions, as ice caps recede as a result
of rising temperatures.
It released a white paper in 2018 highlighting its plans to
create new freight routes linking Asia and Europe via the Northeast, Northwest
and Central Passages of the Arctic, raising concerns about the fragile
environment of the region.
At the end of last year, China also announced plans to
launch a new satellite to track shipping routes and monitor changes in sea ice
in the Arctic. It plans to launch the satellite in 2022.