More Chinese commercial ships will travel along the arctic routes as China establishes a "Polar Silk Road" under the Belt and Road Initiative.
China's commercial boat Yongsheng sailed through the Arctic Northeast Passage, from China to the Netherlands in 2013, marking the beginning of its regular shipping services through the North Pole.
The maritime carrier, China COSCO Shipping Corporation, has been operating the Arctic shipping services since, and has finished dozens of voyages in and through the Arctic region via the passage by the end of 2017.
Officials of the COSCO Shipping said the new Arctic routes has greatly reduced shipping distances and cut fuel consumption compared with the traditional shipping routes through the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal, or around the Cape of Good Hope.
"We are offering regular shipping services along the Northeast Passage every summer. It is a new passageway connecting northwest Europe and the Far East. Compared with the traditional routes, this passageway benefits greatly the shipping company and customers. The shortened shipping time lowers the cost for the carrier and cuts the delivery time for the shipper," said Han Guomin, the former general manager of the COSCO Shipping.
As China included a "Polar Silk Road" in its Belt and Road Initiative in a white paper on Arctic policy early this year, Han said Chinese shipping companies will explore and develop new shipping routes in polar regions and transport more cargoes through the new routes.
Currently there are two sailing routes through the Arctic, the Northwest Trail, which runs along the Canadian coast, and the Northeast Passage through Siberia, which is also the shortest route connecting northeast Asia and western Europe.
In 1997, Finland's ship UIKKU traveled through the northeast route to Asia. In 2013, when the first Chinese commercial ship sailed through the same route, a total of 71 ships globally also sailed.
Sources:cctvplus
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