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Victoria Bela

China and Russia have conducted their first joint on-site sea ice survey in the Arctic Ocean aboard the Xuelong 2 research icebreaker, as tensions continue to rise over economic opportunities in the rapidly warming northern region.
Two researchers from Russia’s Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute boarded Xuelong 2 as part of China’s 16th Arctic Ocean Expedition, according to a report by state broadcaster CCTV on Saturday.
According to Lin Long, captain of the Xuelong 2 sea ice team, this joint observation has been more “practical” than previous Chinese Arctic voyages.
During the mission, they visually observed ice conditions along the ship’s route, recording details about the concentration, thickness and type of sea ice, snow cover, atmospheric factors and large animal sightings.
“By taking part in this joint observation, we were able to learn from the Chinese team’s experience in sea ice observation and draw on the valuable aspects of their observation methods,” CCTV quoted Evgeniy Kozlovskiy, a lead engineer at the Russian institute, as saying.
The observations could complement satellite remote sensing, improve scientists’ understanding of climate change, and lay the foundation for more international cooperation, according to the report.
Moscow and Beijing have stepped up cooperation in the Arctic, and Washington is closely watching their activities in the region.
Rapid melting as a result of climate change has opened up new Arctic shipping routes, drawing the attention of Russia and the United States, but also China – which sees itself as a “near Arctic” nation.
In August 2024, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and his Russian counterpart Mikhail Mishustin signed a joint communique to develop Arctic shipping routes. China has funded research and exploration for the establishment of a “Polar Silk Road”.

In an interview with Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda on Friday, Russian political scientist Vasily Kashin said that China’s interest in the Northern Sea Route “has grown significantly” despite challenges to Arctic cooperation, including Western sanctions.
A few years ago, China had diversified partnerships, including major investment projects in Iceland, Greenland, Norway and Canada, according to Kashin, director of the Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies at Russia’s Higher School of Economics.
“Now, under US influence, the Chinese are being squeezed out of these Arctic partnerships. Therefore, today they are interested in collaborating with us, and we are interested in collaborating with them,” he said.




But some warn that Russia has mixed feelings about China’s increasing activities in the Arctic.
According to a policy brief by analyst Patrik Andersson for the Danish Institute of International Studies in July of last year, Moscow views the Arctic as a core national interest and remains wary of China’s long-term ambitions to become a great polar power.
The Sino-Russian partnership in the Arctic is “constrained by diverging priorities”, and their dynamic could “intensify underlying frictions” even as the two neighbours draw closer, according to the brief.
The negatives of a warming Arctic are likely to outweigh potential economic benefits. The downsides include the rapid thaw of permafrost, which threatens Arctic infrastructure, and climate feedback loops that drive further warming.
China’s 16th Arctic Ocean Expedition, which includes the research icebreakers Xuelong, Xuelong 2 and Jidi, departed from the port city of Dalian in Liaoning province in early July and is expected to end in early October.
The Xuelong 2 icebreaker conducts surveys in the Arctic and Antarctic in their respective summers.
The current expedition, which also includes the research ship Tansuo 3, was organised by China’s Ministry of Natural Resources to survey and monitor the Arctic Ocean’s sea ice, ecosystems, and water and atmospheric conditions.
In July, state media reported that China would also collaborate with scientists from Germany and other countries on the expedition to respond to global climate change and its impacts.
On August 20, China and Russia launched their fourth joint Arctic expedition aboard the research vessel Akademik M.A. Lavrentyev. It is scheduled to last 62 days and cover regions between the northwest Pacific and the Arctic Ocean, including the Chukchi Sea, which lies between Russia and Alaska.


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China and Russia launch first sea ice survey aboard Xuelong 2 as Arctic tensions swell

Members of China’s 16th Arctic Ocean Expedition team collect samples on August 9, 2026. Photo: Xinhua

The Xuelong 2 icebreaker, seen here in the Arctic Ocean on August 9, 2026, also conducts surveys in the Antarctic during summer in the southern hemisphere. Photo: Xinhua

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China and Russia are expanding cooperation on energy and shipping. Photo: Shutterstock

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US President Donald Trump has reportedly pulled federal support for the Arctic Report Card, even as Alaska is predicted to face severe losses from the thaw of permafrost. Photo: AP 

Around 46 per cent of the northern hemisphere’s permafrost is located in Russia’s Siberia. Photo: AP 

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China

Beijing and Moscow are stepping up cooperation in the polar region, drawing Washington’s attention as climate change opens new sea routes


Beijing and Moscow are stepping up cooperation in the polar region, drawing Washington’s attention as climate change opens new sea routes.


Russia

Arctic

China and Russia launch first sea ice survey aboard Xuelong 2 as Arctic tensions swell

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Beijing and Moscow are stepping up cooperation in the polar region, drawing Washington’s attention as climate change opens new sea routes

Beijing and Moscow are stepping up cooperation in the polar region, drawing Washington’s attention as climate change opens new sea routes