Introduction: The Rise of Asian State Actors in the Arctic

Abstract

T raditionally an isolated and low-tension region, the Arctic is known for its extraordinary beauty and pristine wilderness. The region is recognized as one of the last resource-rich frontiers—it holds 22% of the world’s oil and natural gas resources, is home to more than 21,000 known species, and contains two commercially viable shipping routes that could potentially reshape the future of international trade.1 As the sea ice over the central Arctic Ocean has long kept the region inaccessible, Arctic affairs have customarily been prioritized on the policy agendas of only the eight Arctic states—Canada, Denmark (via Greenland), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. However, this situation has begun to change in recent decades as the region becomes more accessible due to climate change, ecological degradation, and a consequent rise in economic and geostrategic opportunities. The Arctic is now a new frontier that has piqued the interest of international actors, especially ones from the Asia-Pacific region. In 2013, at the Kiruna Ministerial Meeting in Sweden, the Arctic Council granted China, Japan, India, South Korea, and Singapore the status of observer states.2 The Arctic Council is a critical governmental forum for Arctic cooperation with decisions made by the eight Arctic nations and the permanent participants.3 Although observer members are limited to observation of the work of the council and involvement in specific working groups, prior to the Kiruna decision the council’s observer states only comprised European countries. The admission of these Asian observers was