Chinese shipping experts are considering routine navigation through Arctic waters to link China and Europe in what would be a shortcut to bypass the route that passes through the Malacca Strait and Suez Canal.
In October 2015, Chinese vessel Yong Sheng finished a record-setting round trip from Europe to north China by sailing through the Arctic waters of the Northeast Passage and docking at Tianjin Port.
The cargo ship operated by China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company (COSCO), the country’s top shipping line, is the first Chinese merchant ship to sail from Europe to China via the Northeast Passage, an icy path north of Russia and Scandinavia, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.