mentions Svalbard (The Svalbard archipelago, Spitsbergen), which is located in the Arctic Circle. Many people may not know it. It is located in the middle of the Arctic Ocean with a latitude of 75°N to 80 Between °N, it belongs to the high latitude area. my country's first Arctic research station— Yellow River Station is located here.
This is also the only place where China has the right of exploitation of and free passage of . Chinese citizens can enter and stay freely without a visa, as well as conduct scientific research, production and life. Etc., except that it is a demilitarized zone that cannot build military bases, the Chinese people enjoy great autonomy there, although its territorial sovereignty belongs to Norway. Of course, Chinese citizens do not need a visa to go directly to Svalbard. If you need to pass through Norway, you still need to apply for a Schengen visa.
Svalbard has a total area of 62,000 square kilometers. The island is rich in minerals and has a very advantageous geographical location. It is a possession of the northernmost border of Norway and one of the habitable areas closest to the Arctic. my country's exploration and active involvement in the Arctic region is of very important strategic significance.
So how did such a big piece of pie fall to China? The process is very dramatic:
In 1925, the French government sent representatives to find the then Beiyang government and the temporary ruling Duan Qirui, saying that they and several other countries found a tens of thousands of square kilometers in the Arctic region. In line with the "traditional friendship" of Sino-French friendship, China specifically invites China to participate in the distribution and development of the land.
Duan Qirui
The Beiyang government checked the map,The location was found in the inaccessible Arctic Circle, thousands of kilometers away from China, and there was no way to go. But since they were kindly invited, the Beiyang government was not so good at rejecting it, so they had to send someone to sign a " Treaty of Svalbard " . Because this piece of land didn't mean much to China at that time, no one cared after the treaty was signed, and the matter was just left behind.
Time advances to the 1990s. As human scientific activities have entered the era of science and the international political landscape has changed tremendously, the Arctic’s rich natural resources and superior geographical location have made the Arctic’s strategic position more and more important. important.
Global climate warming has caused a large number of Arctic glaciers to melt, making the previously inaccessible Arctic Ocean passable. The future Arctic Waterway will become a "golden waterway" , because the voyage is less traditional The route can be greatly shortened, and it will inevitably become one of the most important maritime transportation routes in the world.
At the same time, the geographic location of the Arctic is very special. The Arctic Ocean is a strategic place that connects Asia, Europe and North America. For all northern hemisphere countries, the Arctic is the most threatening area. At present, the United States and Russia have long deployed strategies in the Arctic. The nuclear submarine is on duty for 24 hours combat readiness.
Even if the Arctic has all countries that cannot ignore the strategic significance, the reality is always regrettable. There are only 8 countries that have territories or territorial waters within the Arctic Circle: the United States, Russia, Canada, , and Denmark , Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland, other countries can only watch these 8 countries eat meat.
In 1991, the famous Chinese physicist Gao Dengyi was invited to participate in the comprehensive scientific expedition of the Arctic initiated by the Soviet Union. He accidentally discovered and the Treaty of Svalbard in the English version of "Arctic Guide" China’s name is actually in the list of signatories,So quickly report this major discovery to the country. After consulting historical data, our country found that the situation was true. Originally, we had almost nothing to do with the Arctic, but it turned out that a big pie fell from the sky.
Soon our country proposed a "pan-Arctic country" concept, together with other countries that want to use the "Svalbard Treaty" to gain a foothold in the Arctic, jointly established "Svalbard" The existence basis and legal status of the treaty , other signatories of the treaty have responded one after another. After all, it is always regrettable to watch others eat meat and not even drink the soup. In July 2004, my country's first Arctic research station "Yellow River Station" was established on Svalbard.
On January 26, 2018, my country officially published the " China's Arctic Policy" white paper, which pointed out that to build the Silk Road on the ice, large-scale ice-breaking scientific research ships will be built, and even in the future The nuclear-powered icebreaker is also in the selection. We also define ourselves as "an important stakeholder country in Arctic affairs." After all, the "Svalbard Treaty" a hundred years ago is now there. Of course, we have related interests and do our part!
"China’s Arctic Policy" The publication of the white paper is an important step taken by China’s active participation in the Arctic office. The basic principle of “win-win and sustainable” is to work with all parties concerned to understand the Arctic, protect the Arctic, use the Arctic and participate in the governance of the Arctic, and jointly maintain and promote peace, stability and sustainable development in the Arctic!
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