President Trump is right again. China wants to move in on Greenland, and neither Greenland nor Denmark can defend the Polar Route. The U.S. would be better positioned to protect Greenland, a strategically important island. As the ice melts, Greenland could eventually become a year-round route.
The Ice Silk Road
China launched its first regular commercial cargo service via the Arctic’s Northern Sea Route (NSR), also known as the Ice Silk Road.
The service runs from Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in eastern China, through the Bering Strait, and along Russia’s northern Arctic coast to Europe (with initial stops including the UK, Germany, and Poland).
Shippers report a 30% to 40% decrease in distance and lower carbon emissions per shipment than southern alternatives. The route bypasses unstable or conflict-ridden southern maritime corridors, including the Red Sea (threatened by Houthi attacks) and Middle Eastern passages impacted by regional wars.
Russia controls the route, and it doesn’t pass near Greenland.
