economy
Russia and China Open the "Ice Silk Road"
Moscow and Beijing are connecting China's "Belt and Road" initiative with Russia's Arctic corridor.
TL;DR
- Russia and China are jointly developing the Northern Sea Route as a new Arctic transport artery.
- This initiative connects China's "Belt and Road" with Russia's Arctic corridor, aiming for year-round navigation between Asia and Europe.
- Plans include building icebreakers, container ships, and expanding logistics and container transport.
- A joint roadmap aims for 20 million tons of annual cargo traffic via the Arctic route by 2030.
- The Northern Sea Route offers a transit time of about 20 days from China to Europe, nearly half the time via the Suez Canal.
- Russia and China are also cooperating on training Chinese sailors for polar conditions.
- Transit cargo along the route reached a record 3.2 million tons in 2025, with total cargo turnover between Russia and China via the Arctic reaching 5.4 million tons.