Does a Russia-China alignment in the Arctic have staying power?

Russia and China have lots of common interests in the Arctic — but they have some diverging interests, too.

The combination of climate change, Russia’s laser-like focus on its core interests in its High North region, and China’s expanding investments in the Arctic suggests that the dynamics and assumptions that have historically defined the Arctic region are changing. As China seeks to broaden and deepen its oil, gas, shipping investments, along with its scientific inquiry, its largest and most compelling relationship on all counts in the Arctic is the Russian Federation.