China extending influence over the poles

In a bid to increase their status as a world player, China is looking to expand the role they play in the world's Arctic regions.

HONG KONG, CHINA (Catholic Online) - China is signaling to the world that they plan to become a major player in both the Arctic and Antarctic regions in the years to come.

China has announced they have a strong interest in both regions and they're pushing ahead with plans to deploy ships and research expeditions in both areas.

Critics are concerned that the Chinese are turning an eye towards Antarctica which is blessed with vast natural resources, a charge that Chinese officials flatly deny.

Antarctica is protected until 2048 by the Madrid protocol, a 1991 agreement that was negotiated between the Australians and French and accepted by the rest of the world. The agreement bans any exploitation of Antarctic resources especially, coal, metal, and oil. The region is thought to be incredibly rich in untapped natural resources.

Antarctica is also scientifically valuable because it is relatively untouched by humans. The pristine environment allows for a wide array of research to be conducted. It is the only such significant, unpolluted landmass on earth.

Environmentalists are afraid that the ban on Antarctica exploitation won't last beyond 2048. They point out the growing appetite of the increasingly industrialized world economy, and say that based on current projections, the resources of Antarctica will need to be exploited just to maintain the level of growth the world has enjoyed for decades. Without tapping into the resources, new conflicts over natural resources could arise in developed areas of the globe.

However, resource exploitation of Antarctica could have a devastating effect on the global environment. Because of the hostile conditions, Antarctica is home to one of the world's most fragile ecosystems. The wildlife there is especially susceptible to the slightest human impact. Destruction of the Antarctic environment could have consequences beyond all imagination.
Several nations have already performed feasibility studies on resource exploration in an Arctic. Especially oil. As the Chinese announce that they are deploying a new icebreaker to Antarctica, concerns grow that the Chinese government may in fact, be drawing long-term plans for the exploitation of the resources there.

China is also looking to the Arctic region. Global warming has rapidly sped the melting of the Northern polar ice cap, and is opening the legendary Northwest passage to shipping. It is estimated that within a decade, ships will be able to sail through the Northwest passage year-round. While the rapidly shrinking ice cap is of concern to ecologists, it is a boon to the shipping industry, especially the Chinese.

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Using the Northwest passage will cut over 6000 miles off Chinese shipping to Europe. It will also enable them to avoid the troubled Gulf of Aden, where pirates frequently attempt to hijack crews with their valuable cargoes.

For its part, the Chinese government insists that their interests are more about national prestige and scientific exploration. They affirm that they have no regard for territorial gain or minerals. They specifically refer to global climate change, and are reminding others that China is also affected by these changes. They claim they are only interested in conducting their own independent research in the region.

China has been making repeated efforts to achieve permanent observer status on the Arctic Council, which is a governing organization staffed by the eight Arctic states including the United States, Canada, Russia, and the Scandinavian countries. So far, their requests have been rejected. However, as a new era of Chinese hegemony develops, China is certain to become a major player in polar politics-- whether the rest of the world likes it or not.

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