Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in Zhejiang province of China launched the world’s first China–Europe Arctic Express in September, achieving the “Polar Silk Road” vision with a record 18-day transit. The container vessel “Istanbul Bridge” set off from Beiyi Container Terminal on its maiden voyage to Felixstowe, the largest container port in the United Kingdom. This new route significantly reduces shipping times between China and Europe. Transit took just 18 days, compared to over 25 days by the China–Europe Railway Express, more than 40 days via the Suez Canal, and over 50 days around the Cape of Good Hope. This improvement speeds up supply chains, cuts business inventory needs by 40 percent, and lowers capital costs. Also, the Arctic Express provides a safer and more stable route, passing through politically and economically secure areas, which minimizes risks from piracy, congestion, and regional conflicts, as well as reducing carbon emissions by approximately 50 percent compared to traditional longer routes.
Major Sea Trade Routes
Major sea trade routes include the Suez Canal (Asia–Europe), Panama Canal (Asia–US), Strait of Malacca (intra-Asia), and the English Channel (Europe–UK). Other key routes involve the Strait of Hormuz for oil transport, the North Atlantic Route for Europe–North America trade, and the Trans-Pacific Route connecting Asia and North America. The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, providing the shortest trade route between Europe and Asia. It accounts for a significant portion of global trade, including oil, gas, and containers. The Panama Canal links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, allowing ships to travel between Asia and the eastern coast of the United States without sailing around South America.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, is critical for the transport of oil from the Middle East to Asia. The Cape of Good Hope is an alternative route around the southern tip of Africa used when canals are inaccessible due to war or blockage. The Strait of Malacca is a crucial link between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, connecting major Asian economies like China, Japan, and India, and is considered a major chokepoint for intra-Asia trade.
The North Atlantic Route is the busiest sea route in the world, connecting the industrial ports of Western Europe with the East Coast of North America. The English Channel is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, connecting the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean and serving as a vital route between the UK and continental Europe. The Danish Straits connect the Baltic Sea to the North Sea, facilitating trade in Northern Europe.
The Strait of Gibraltar connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, separating Europe and Africa. The Bosporus Strait connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, forming part of the Turkish Straits, which are a strategic link in global maritime traffic. With melting polar ice, Arctic routes are becoming a viable, shorter option for trade, potentially reducing transit times and costs. The Trans-Pacific Route connects the manufacturing centres of East Asia, especially China, with the West Coast of North America, primarily the United States. It is a critical trade corridor for the movement of electronics, vehicles, and other goods.
Major Sea Trade Choke Points
Major sea trade choke points include the Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, Suez Canal, and Panama Canal, along with others like the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, and the Turkish Straits. These narrow, strategic waterways are critical for global commerce as they connect larger bodies of water, but their limited capacity can cause major disruptions to trade if blocked or restricted.
The Arctic Region
The Arctic region covers over one-sixth of the Earth’s landmass and is set to play an increasing role in shaping the course of world affairs. The still less explored region is rich in exploitable natural resources, especially gas and oil, and marine living resources. It is estimated that the Arctic could be home to nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas. The Arctic Ocean, around Earth’s North Pole, is full of floating ice with ridges up to 20 metres thick.
Global industrialisation has raised temperatures because of increased carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, the glaciers are rapidly melting. The minimum Arctic sea ice extent in 2024 was 4.28 million square kilometres, which is around 1.8 million square kilometres lower than the long-term average. Arctic sea ice reduction has been at a rate of almost 13 percent per decade. At this rate, the Arctic could be ice-free in the summer by 2040.
The Arctic Council
Unlike Antarctica, which is uninhabited and administered by a treaty of 1959 that allows only peaceful activities, there is no such treaty covering the Arctic. The Arctic Council was set up in 1996 by the Ottawa Declaration. It is a grouping that looks into issues faced by the Arctic countries and the residents of the Arctic. The United States, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia are the eight countries having territory within the Arctic Circle, and all are members of this council.
The council provides for countries with observer status. In 2011, the Council clarified its criteria for admission of observers. The critical requirement was that applicants must “recognise Arctic States’ sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the Arctic” and recognise that an extensive legal framework applies to the Arctic Ocean. The Himalayas are often considered the ‘Third Pole’, with commonality of elements with the Arctic and Antarctic. It was important for India to have a foothold in all three. In May 2013, India became the 11th country to be made a permanent observer at the Arctic Council.
Militarisation and the Arctic Cold War
Both Russia and the United States have long placed weapons, including Russian nuclear deterrence, in the Arctic region. Both had Arctic military bases and had placed significant surveillance systems in the region. Effectively, the Arctic is already militarised. Russia has been operating nuclear-powered icebreakers in the Arctic for some time. The Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation (AMEC) agreement between Russia, the US, and Norway helped clear up the Arctic of hazardous waste, including from former Soviet decommissioned nuclear submarines.
The US also reduced the assets based in Alaska, but the programme ended in 2006 when the USA stopped funding it. Yet control over the Arctic by many countries, especially the US and Russia, has begun a new Cold War. With the West and Russia drawn into a fresh showdown over Ukraine since 2014, the once cooperative approach has started breaking down.
Arctic Sea Routes
There are three main routes. The Northern Sea Route (NSR) runs along the Arctic coast of Russia. Ice clears here first and therefore it is available for a longer duration. It also has the highest commercial potential. The route reduces the maritime distance between East Asia and Europe from 21,000 km via the Suez Canal to 12,800 km, implying transit time savings of 10–15 days. The NSR was used extensively during the Soviet era for natural resource extraction and transportation and for military resupplies.
The North West Passage (NWP), the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans crossing Canada’s Arctic Archipelago, began being used first in 2007 and may open for more regular use soon. While Canada claims it as an internal waterway, the United States and various European countries claim that it is an international strait and transit passage and must allow free and unencumbered movement. This route between East Asia and Western Europe would be around 13,600 km vis-à-vis 24,000 km via the Panama Canal. However, parts of the route are just 15 metres deep, reducing viability. China nevertheless remains interested in using this passage to the eastern United States, as the Panama Canal also has ship size and tonnage restrictions.
The Transpolar Sea Route (TSR) would use the central part of the Arctic to directly link the Bering Strait and the Atlantic Ocean port of Murmansk. This route is hypothetical, as it involves ice-free conditions that are not yet observed. The Arctic Bridge linking Murmansk port in Russia to Narvik in Norway and further to Churchill port in Canada is mostly used for the grain trade and cannot typically be called a trans-Arctic route.
China – The New Player in the Arctic
As China grew into a significant power, it has shown increasing interest in the Arctic region. It has been building military and other capabilities to defend its interests in the region and has adopted an aggressive Arctic policy. Denmark, backed by the US, refused China’s offer to buy an old military base in Greenland and build an international airport. China’s Arctic forays are being monitored and challenged by the US. Since the 19th century, the United States has considered, and made, several attempts to purchase Greenland from Denmark, as it did with the Danish West Indies in 1917, including President Trump’s announcement to annex it in May 2025.
China released its official Arctic Policy paper in January 2018. It covers foreign relations with Arctic countries and outlines China’s interests in creating infrastructure for research, military, and other purposes, as well as resource exploitation. It is establishing a “Polar Silk Road” through the Arctic to help expedite global shipping delivery. China considers itself a Near-Arctic State and a major stakeholder in the region. As far back as 1925, China became a signatory to the Svalbard Treaty, which allows members to engage in certain mining activities while recognising Norway’s sovereignty.
China has set up a Polar Research Institute in Shanghai and began Arctic expeditions in 1984. In 1996, China joined the International Arctic Science Committee. It has a series of research vessels, including the Chinese polar icebreaker MV Xue Long. China built the Arctic Yellow River Station in 2004. In 2018, COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited made eight transits through the Arctic between Europe and China. China insists that its one-fifth share of the world’s population must benefit from Arctic resources and spends more than the US on Arctic research. China’s “Polar Silk Road” is a joint initiative with Russia launched in 2018. Like Russia, China also wants nuclear-powered icebreakers in the Arctic, becoming only the second country to do so.
Indian Arctic Presence and Interests
India has had a permanent Arctic research station in Svalbard, Norway, since July 2008. Named “Himadri”, it is located within the International Arctic Research Base, nearly 1,200 kilometres from the North Pole. Research is centred on monitoring fjord dynamics, glaciers, space weather, and carbon recycling, among other areas. India is also studying genetics, glaciology, geology, atmospheric pollution, and space weather.
In 2014, India established an underwater moored observatory, “IndARC”, at Kongsfjorden fjord in Svalbard. Svalbard is the northernmost year-round settlement on Earth, with a population of about 2,200. The scientific objective is to find linkages between Arctic weather parameters and the south-west monsoon.
India is a growing major power and seeks to be a significant player in any Arctic power structure that evolves, including economic exploitation. India’s ONGC Videsh has shown interest in investing in Russia’s Arctic liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects.
India released its Arctic policy in March 2022, titled “India and the Arctic: Building a Partnership for Sustainable Development”. The policy enumerates India’s interests in scientific research, climate and environmental issues, economic and resource prospects, sea connectivity, and sustained presence in the region. India is also exploring Arctic sea lanes to improve connectivity to northern destinations.
India also plans to connect with Arctic sea routes using the already planned International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multi-modal network of ship, rail, and road routes. The India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is another initiative to create a network of infrastructure to improve trade between India, the Middle East, and Europe.
Other routes under consideration include connections via Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, and a proposed Chennai–Vladivostok Maritime Corridor to reach closer to the Arctic.
India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor
The IMEC is a multi-modal connectivity initiative to link India, the Middle East, and Europe through ports, railways, roads, pipelines, sea lanes, and digital infrastructure. Launched in 2023, it is a partnership between India, the US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, France, Germany, Italy, and the European Union. Other countries involved in the northern corridor include Jordan and Israel. The project includes two corridors: an eastern corridor connecting India to the Arabian Gulf, and a northern corridor connecting the Gulf to Europe. It aims to enhance trade, reduce transit times, and promote clean energy. Trade between India and the European Union reached $136 billion in 2024.
The Eastern Corridor connects India to the Arabian Gulf via sea and land routes, linking ports such as Mumbai and Mundra with ports in the UAE. The Northern Corridor connects the Arabian Gulf to Europe via a railway network through Saudi Arabia and Jordan to the Israeli port of Haifa, from where sea routes connect to ports like Piraeus in Greece.
International North–South Transport Corridor
The INSTC is a 7,200-km multimodal route connecting the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea and onward to Northern Europe through Iran, Russia, and Central Asia. Established in 2000 by India, Russia, and Iran, it aims to create a shorter and faster alternative to the Suez Canal route. The corridor now includes several Central Asian and Eurasian countries, with Bulgaria as an observer state. Transport costs reduce by nearly $2,500 per 15 tonnes of cargo.
Goods are shipped to ports such as Shahid Beheshti Port in Chabahar, Iran, and then transported overland to Caspian Sea ports before onward shipment to Russia and Europe. Trade volumes continue to rise.
Chennai–Vladivostok Maritime Corridor
The Chennai–Vladivostok Maritime Corridor is a strategic route connecting Chennai Port with Vladivostok Port in Russia’s Far East. Proposed in 2019, the 10,300-km corridor can reduce travel time from about 40 days to 24 days. It enhances supply chain reliability and strengthens India–Russia connectivity, particularly during periods of global disruption.
The Way Ahead
Indian-owned or flagged vessels currently carry only a small percentage of India’s trade cargo. With nearly 20 percent of global vessels expected to either originate from or call at India in the next 15 years, there is a need to build more ships domestically. Maritime India Vision 2030 (MIV 2030) and the Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 set targets to bring India into the top 10 maritime nations by 2030 and the top five by 2047.
The Arctic continues to attract strategic attention as great power competition intensifies. Unlike Antarctica, Arctic states already exercise sovereignty under the Law of the Sea regime. Russia’s Northern Fleet remains dominant in the region. India must remain actively engaged, deepen cooperation with Russia, and simultaneously push trade through other emerging corridors to secure its long-term strategic interests.
Note: The article was originally written by the Author for The First Post on, November 28th, 2025, it has since been updated.
Header Picture Credit: Author
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Air Power Asia 