A new battlefield in the great power game: the Arctic battle is intensifying
With global warming, the Arctic region, once a "forbidden zone", has gradually awakened from the ice and has become a new battlefield for major powers to compete in the game. The United States recently unilaterally announced that it will expand its claims to the continental shelf in the Arctic and the Bering Sea, and will negotiate with Canada and Japan. The deep-seated reasons behind this move have aroused widespread concern from the international community.
The Struggle for Resources: The Arctic's Treasure Secret
The U.S. claims over the continental shelf cover an area of up to 1 million square kilometers, equivalent to two California states or nearly 1.7 Ukraine. This bold statement is not untargeted, but takes aim at the Arctic's abundant natural resources. It is estimated that the deep Arctic resources are worth up to 83 billion tons of standard fuel, nearly 80% of which are concentrated in the Russian-controlled regions of the Barents and Kara Seas. As global energy demand continues to grow, the Arctic's mineral and oil and gas resources have become the target of competition among countries.
With the announcement of the expansion of the U.S. sovereignty claim, it means that the mineral and oil and gas resources of the Arctic seabed will likely be monopolized by the United States. This strategy will not only bring the U.S. minerals to the production of electric vehicle batteries, but will also enable it to legitimately manage and exploit the oil and gas resources in the country.
Geopolitical wrestling: the strategic value of the Arctic shipping lanes
In addition to its abundant natural resources, the Arctic region is also strategically important geopolitically. With global warming, the opening of the Arctic shipping lanes provides a more direct and efficient path for international shipping. The Northeast Passage runs from the Asia-Pacific along the Russian coast to Europe, while the Northwest Passage allows ships to travel from the Asia-Pacific region to North America via the United States, Alaska, and northern Canada. Compared to traditional shipping routes, the Arctic shipping lanes can save 7 to 12 days of time for maritime transportation, bringing huge economic benefits to global trade.
At the same time, global powers are paying more and more attention to the Arctic shipping lanes. The United States seeks to secure its maritime trade and expand its economic interests by controlling the Arctic shipping lanes. However, Russia is aggressively expanding the volume of trade through the Arctic route, which is expected to reach an all-time high in 2023. In addition, Japan has announced that it will expand its claims to the continental shelf, following in the footsteps of the United States.
Military Layout: The Arctic Future Struggle
In addition to resource competition and geopolitical wrestling, the military layout of various countries in the Arctic region is also becoming more and more obvious.
The United States recently signed a defense cooperation agreement with Finland that allows the U.S. military to use 15 military bases in Finland, including four air bases and one naval base, as well as several army bases and training facilities. The agreement marks a further strengthening of the U.S. military presence in the Arctic region, which is aimed at strengthening control and deterrence in the region.
Conclusion: Future prospects and suggestions
The Arctic region is gradually becoming a new focus of great power competition. Countries are competing fiercely over resources, geopolitical wrestling, and military layout. With the intensification of global climate change and the gradual emergence of the potential for resource development in the Arctic, the Arctic competition will intensify in the future. In order to maintain regional peace and stability and promote sustainable development, all countries should strengthen cooperation and communication to jointly address challenges such as climate change and resource development. At the same time, the international community should strengthen the supervision and cooperation mechanism in the Arctic region to ensure that the interests of all countries in the Arctic region are reasonably balanced and safeguarded. Only in this way can sustainable peace and prosperity in the Arctic be achieved.