Arctic Chessboard: Co-operation and confrontation of Russia and China

Russia and China, linked since February 2022 by a declaration of "partnership without borders", have shifted geopolitical tandem to the highest geographical width. The CEPA study "[Sino-Russian Cooperation in the Arctic](https://cepa.org/comprehensive-reports/sino-russian-cooperation-in-the-arctic/)" of 8 July 2025 notes that the Arctic has become a force, intelligence and silent sabotage demonstration ground for both countries. Climate change only accelerates this dynamics: the minimum scope of Arctic sea ice fell on 11 September 2024 to 4.28 million km2 (the seventh lowest score in satellite measurement history), beginning longer shipping windows and fresh fields of friction and miscalculation (https://nsidc.org/sea-ice-today/analyses/arctic-sea-ice-extent-levels-2024-minimum-se).