According to a report by the U.S. "Military Observer" on October 16, a ship from Ningbo, China, has successfully passed through the Northern Sea Route of the Arctic and arrived at the Port of Felixstowe in the UK in just 20 days, marking China's first shipping operation to transport container cargo to Europe through the Arctic.

This route was escorted by a Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker throughout, bypassing traditional maritime routes such as the Strait of Malacca and the Suez Canal. Not only has the transportation time been almost halved, but more importantly, it marks a substantive breakthrough for China to break through the Western maritime power blockades.

Over the past few decades, the United States has established control over major global maritime routes by controlling key straits and used them as tools for pressure when necessary, such as the seizure and resale of Iranian oil tankers.

But now, China has opened up a new route that is completely free from Western control, pre-setting a channel for potential high-intensity confrontations in the future.

This strategic breakthrough goes far beyond transportation itself; it symbolizes the expansion of China's global strategic maneuvering space and breaks the long-term monopoly of maritime powers on shipping control rights.

Istanbul Bridge Ship

From a medium- to long-term perspective, this Arctic route is likely to become China's third main route for trade with Europe, complementing traditional sea routes and the China-Europe railway.

Although it currently still relies on Russia's icebreaking capabilities, and there are certain ice challenges in winter, with the ongoing trend of global warming and continuous improvements in icebreaking technology, the navigable period of the Arctic has increased from 1-2 months per year in the 20th century to over five months now, and is expected to extend further within the next ten years.

In addition, Russia is continuously strengthening its large ports, satellite communication, navigation systems, and military presence in the Arctic, providing a relatively controllable safe environment for merchant ships.

Cooperation between China and Russia under the framework of the Ice Silk Road is gradually becoming institutionalized and normalized. In the future, it is not excluded that China will participate in building more Arctic branch ports and logistics nodes, or even deploy its own polar communication satellite system, further reducing reliance costs.

If this route becomes mature and achieves regular operations, it will significantly improve the efficiency of China's exports to the European market, and also bring stable transit revenue and geopolitical influence to Russia. For both China and Russia, this is a highly strategically attractive common interest.

Icebreaker

Compared to the China-Europe railway, air freight, and traditional southern sea routes, the Arctic route fills a strategic gap between timeliness, cost, and safety.

Air freight is fast, but has small capacity and high cost, suitable for high-value goods with extreme time sensitivity.

The China-Europe railway takes 13 to 18 days, serving as a compromise between speed and cost, suitable for export products after structural upgrades, such as complete vehicles and battery packs, but heavily dependent on transit countries, with high geopolitical risks, such as Poland previously closing the passage.

Traditional sea freight, although the lowest cost and largest capacity, takes over 40 days, and travels through the Strait of Malacca, the Indian Ocean, and the Suez Canal, all within the controlled areas of the West, posing extremely high strategic risks.

In contrast, the Arctic route completes the journey in about 20 days, which is faster than the southern sea route but slower than the railway, with lower costs than air freight, higher capacity than the railway, and the entire route controlled by Russia, making it difficult for the West to interfere.

More importantly, this route does not require changing tracks, does not involve complex customs clearance, and avoids problematic countries, almost entirely forming a bilateral closed loop between China and Russia. It can be said that it is the only main shipping route to Europe that can be free from Western control at this stage.

Straits of Malacca

Therefore, the United States can no longer stop it.

Previously, the United States created the myth of global maritime blockade power. When tensions arise, it could choke the opponent's throat.

But the opening of the Arctic route has made all of this ineffective.

On this route, U.S. aircraft carriers cannot enter, and Western sanctions cannot reach. Even if a high-intensity conflict erupts between China and the United States, as long as Sino-Russian relations remain stable, China's Arctic export route can remain open.

Facts show that China no longer depends on the maritime rules set by the West, nor does it fear the U.S. Malacca trap. From the hijacking of Iranian oil tankers to the sinking of Venezuelan ships, the Western game rules of legal plunder have become ineffective, because once you walk your own path, the other side has no way to block it.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7562084590278525440/

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