Chinese: the North Sea and the Arctic

The Chinese plan to sail to Iceland via the North Sea and the Arctic

• Sunday, 17 March 2013

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The Chinese plan to sail to Iceland through the Arctic in 2020, or in only seven years. Hopes are that the passage over the Arctic will be open four months a year by then, so that ships can sail between Asia and Europe. Huigen Yang, director of the Polar Research Institute of China, talked about this with the Minister of Foreign affairs in Iceland.

"For us Icelanders this is very important, and Iceland is the logical endpoint of this sailing route" said Mr. Ossur Skarphedinsson, Minister of Foreign affairs. He met with Huigen Yang recently where they discussed the possibilities of sailing through the Arctic, among other things.

"Yang said that if 10% of goods exports from China to Europe went through the Arctic in 2020, that would be goods worth 700 billion USD. That is extreme much, and it has been mentioned before in the discussions with the Chinese that they will use large, reinforced container ships, and they would like to be able to transship the goods in Iceland before they continue to Europe. This creates many opportunities for Iceland." said Ossur.

Mr. Ossur also said that Icelanders should prepare fast for these changes, and look for international funding to fund the construction of a large harbor that would be needed to offer the required service.

"Of course not only the Chinese will use this sailing route, but other sailing nations as well, and I think that it is feasible for us Icelanders to connect these nations together and cooperate with them, regarding funding and construction of a large international goods harbor that services sailing through the Arctic.", said Ossur and he added:

"Singapore, Dubai and European port companies have already visited Iceland and showed much interest in these possibilities. We have always believed in this sailing route, both because of the ocean currents and because of the ice thickness, and it is important that a large nation like Chine agrees with us, and they have already prepared to use the route. Huigen Yang said that the Chinese are already preparing to build reinforced container ships, that are designed by the Finnish, and they have already demonstrated in the Kara Sea that these ships can sail through meter thick ice and would not need the aid of ice breakers."

Ossur says that this would not only be very important for the Icelandic economy, specially in North Iceland, but this could also change the political position of Iceland. He said:

"This can revolutionize the geopolitical position of Iceland against Europe, Asia and the US, because Iceland is at an important location in this sailing route between continents. The Americans did not understand this some time ago, but most people are starting to realize this now."