The Arctic in a Security Context: China's Military Presence and Strategies in Arctic Waters

The article examines the issues surrounding China's military presence in Arctic waters, conducting an analysis of official Chinese political documents, as well as an assessment of the political, economic, and military activities of this superpower in the Polar region. A comprehensive study of the data makes it possible to identify China’s main strategic line and its impact on addressing Arctic security issues. The methodological foundation of the study is the integrated application of complementary qualitative analysis methods, each corresponding to a specific research task. The relevance of a comprehensive analysis of China’s military presence in the Arctic is determined by several interrelated factors. First, the geopolitical transformation of the region. The events of 2022 led to the suspension of the Arctic Council’s work with the participation of Western states and the effective collapse of multilateral Arctic cooperation mechanisms that had existed since 1996. Second, the unprecedented strengthening of Russian-Chinese military interaction in Arctic waters. Third, the rapid build-up of China’s technological capabilities for operations in Arctic conditions. Fourth, the evolution of China’s official discourse. Fifth, the lack of reliable information about China’s actual intentions. Thus, the military dimension of China’s Arctic strategy represents a critically important yet understudied issue in contemporary geopolitics, requiring comprehensive scientific analysis.