Beijing and Moscow are stepping up cooperation in the polar region, drawing Washington’s attention as climate change opens new sea routes
3-MIN READ3-MINVictoria BelaPublished: 9:00pm, 7 Sep 2026China and Russia have conducted their first joint on-site sea ice survey in the Arctic Ocean aboard the Xuelong 2 research icebreaker, as tensions continue to rise over economic opportunities in the rapidly warming northern region.Two researchers from Russia’s Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute boarded Xuelong 2 as part of China’s 16th Arctic Ocean Expedition, according to a September 5 report by CCTV.
During the mission, they visually observed ice conditions along the ship’s route, recording details about the concentration, thickness and type of sea ice, snow cover, atmospheric factors and large animal sightings.
“By taking part in this joint observation, we were able to learn from the Chinese team’s experience in sea ice observation and draw on the valuable aspects of their observation methods,” the state broadcaster quoted Evgeniy Kozlovskiy, a lead engineer at the Russian institute, as saying.
