Economic benefits

Closer ties with Arctic countries will bring China economic benefits, while its participation in the region is likely to promote commercial ties with Arctic states, especially Russia, analysts said.

Recent research data show Arctic ice is melting at an unprecedented speed. With temperatures in the region rising at a rate twice that elsewhere in the world, the Arctic is expected to be ice-free in coming decades.

There are three main shipping routes across the Arctic region — the Northeast Passage, Northwest Passage and Central Arctic Shipping Route.

Melting ice clears the Northeast Passage from the end of July for four months or more, while the central route is open from the end of August for one month or more, said Yang Huigen, director-general of the Polar Research Institute of China, the country's leading institute on Arctic research.

Plying the Arctic routes could cut the sailing time between major Asian and European destinations by almost one-third. This would reduce fuel costs for shipping companies, which have been increasing steadily in recent years.

Yang said, "Chinese ports, especially those in the northeast of the country, will benefit from the new routes. This could also boost Northeast China's regional economy." Anton Vasiliev, ambassador-at-large for Arctic cooperation at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a recent interview that of all the sectors that might benefit, "the (Russian) shipping industry will benefit the most", as it expands its use of Arctic waters, especially to China.

China has also been forging closer ties with Iceland. On April 16, the two countries signed a free trade agreement, and heads of State from both countries reaffirmed future cooperation in the Arctic region.

Trade volume between the two countries in 2012 rose 21 percent from a year earlier to $180 million, and growth is expected to continue.

Last year, China sent its research vessel and icebreaker Xuelong to the Arctic for the fifth time. The vessel paid an official visit to Iceland, its first visit to an Arctic country.