China's participation in the international scientific cooperation in the Arctic

The article analyzes the role of China in the most important areas of international scientific cooperation in the Arctic, in which non-Arctic players are involved along with the Arctic countries. The legal basis for scientific cooperation in the Arctic is the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the other is the Arctic Council. In 2013, China became the official observer state of the Arctic Council, thus taking an important step towards participating in Arctic international cooperation. Despite the fact that China is a non-Arctic country, factors such as climate change in the Arctic, the prospects for the development of the region's resources and the Arctic Channel contribute to China's interest in the Arctic and its policy towards the region. Taking into account the interests of China in the Arctic, as well as the legal framework and responsibility in the Arctic, under the existing mechanisms of international cooperation in the Arctic, China is involved in a number of Arctic international scientific research, mainly in the field of natural sciences. At the same time, China introduced its new platform for international cooperation in the Arctic – the Polar Silk Road, which is making some progress in international scientific cooperation.