OPINION: Canada’s North: By China for China – by Jessica M. Shadian (Globe and Mail – March 12, 2021)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Hey Canada, remember early in the pandemic when China “participated in the pragmatic co-operation” with us to make a vaccine? Well, it is about to happen again in the Arctic.

Last week, China released its 2021-25 strategic plan to engage in “pragmatic co-operation” to build its “Polar Silk Road,” a smaller piece of its overall Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

You know, the one where all global supply chains, infrastructure, trade logistics and resources lead to Beijing, underpinned by Huawei and Alibaba?

To be clear, by “road” the Chinese government means “route,” and by that it really means the transpolar shipping route over the North Pole through international waters that, by current estimates, will have completely ice-free summers by 2050. This is precisely the same timeframe (2049) that China intends to have completed its BRI.

Why does China want to “help” build an Arctic trade route? For starters, Canada hasn’t built it. There is also the fact that the Arctic is rich in natural resources.

For the rest of this article: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-canadas-north-by-china-for-china/