Who owns the North Pole Part 88

The global race for the Arctic’s riches is already in progress and attracting military interests, according to US State Secretary John Kerry, who says Washington is keeping a close eye on China and Russia and adapting its “national security” strategy.

Our future national security strategy is going to be affected also by what’s going on in the Arctic. The melting of the polar cap is opening sea lanes that never before existed,” Kerry said in a speech at OldDominion University. “The potential there is already there for a global race to exploit the resources of the region.” Kerry went on to say “Economic riches tend to attract military interest as nations seek to ensure their own rights are protected. And we know, because we track it, that these countries – like Russia, China, and others – are active in the Arctic.”

The restoration of Russian military infrastructure in the Arctic began in 2012 with the aim of being completed by 2020. Russia is developing mobile nuclear power plants designated for military installations in the region. It is also adopting military technology to better suit the harsh weather conditions in the polar region. Moscow has almost finished building a new Arctic military base on Kotelny Island, off the eastern Siberian coast. Russian troops will be deployed there, and at a series of smaller Arctic bases and airfields by 2018, equipped with all the necessary high-tech weaponry.

China has been an observer of the Arctic Council since May 2013, and has no claims to the Arctic, but being a manufacturing powerhouse, Beijing is eager to exploit the Northeastern Passage have access to shorter shipping routes.