It defines itself as a "near-Arctic state" in the document, saying environmental changes in the Arctic have a "direct impact on China's climate system and ecological environment." It's a stark contrast to Arctic Council concerns before China's admission, when members feared it could seek to repeat its South China Sea territorial grab in the Arctic Circle. Beijing claims an enormous swath of territory in the South China Sea, and has created heavily fortified artificial islands to help assert its position in the Spratly and Paracel island chains. But skeptics have argued that China's Arctic ambitions are largely fueled by the economic and political appeal of dominating a resource-rich area. The China State Shipbuilding Corporation claims it will be more capable of cutting through ice and carrying out advanced research than its foreign-built predecessor.

Source: CNN December 30, 2018 00:00 UTC