Moscow May Create An ‘Alternative Arctic Council’ With China As Member

Now that the seven other members are continuing to meet as the Arctic Council but without the presence of a Russian representative who according to its bylaws is chairman in office until next year, Moscow may choose to create an alternative organization for the Arctic consisting of itself, China and some other countries. Dmitry Zhuravlyev, the head of the Moscow Institute of Regional Problems, says that creating such an alternative organization and including China among its members is a possibility, given that “the Chinese have many icebreakers and are very interested” given that the West has blocked China from membership…