That's a long way from Hainan island.
From The Barents Observer, August 29:
The Russian Arctic region actively seeks to strengthen ties with Beijing. This week, a Chinese icebreaker for the first time paid a visit to Murmansk.
The Xue Long 2 set out from the Chinese port city of Qingdao on the 7th July and subsequently set course for the Bering Strait. Following its passage into the Chukchi Sea, the 122 meter long ship is believed to have sailed towards the North Pole.
One and a half month later it sailed into the Kola Bay and moored in a downtown port. Locals in the Russian Arctic city could on the 28th of August see the vessel being assisted by tugs into the harbour area....
....At the same time, China is expanding its research activities in the far northern region, including in the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard....
....MUCH MORE
Previously:
September 2018: "China Launches Its First Domestically Built Icebreaker"
if you read Xinhua's translation of January's "Full text: China's Arctic Policy" you'll note they call themselves a ‘Near-Arctic state’.
This is to counter people like me using the 'non-polar' or 'non-Arctic' phrasing.
Additionally China is couching their interest in terms of research:
States from outside the Arctic region do not have territorial sovereignty in the Arctic, but they do have rights in respect of scientific research, navigation, overflight, fishing, laying of submarine cables and pipelines in the high seas and other relevant sea areas in the Arctic Ocean, and rights to resource exploration and exploitation in the Area, pursuant to treaties such as UNCLOS and general international law. In addition, Contracting Parties to the Spitsbergen Treaty enjoy the liberty of access and entry to certain areas of the Arctic, the right under conditions of equality and, in accordance with law, to the exercise and practice of scientific research, production and commercial activities such as hunting, fishing, and mining in these areas....
and is dedicating 1100 square feet of space on the latest planned icebreaker to laboratories.
For some reason I'm reminded of the time the Chinese bought their first aircraft carrier from Ukraine....
*****
... Again, this is just a little guy, 1.5 meters capability is nothing in the world of icebreakers.
The Venta Maersk that just became the first container ship to transit Russia's Northern Sea Route can get through 2-3 feet of ice and Teekay's new LNG carrier, the Eduard Toll, was breaking through 1.8 meters of ice on its inaugural run from Yamal in January.
The thing that is impressive about the Xue Long 2 is that the Chinese built it themselves.
As noted in the outro from the nuclear-powered ship, the strategy is
similar to the one they used to pursue their aircraft carrier dreams.
Here's the short version of the time the Chinese bought their first aircraft carrier from Ukraine.
The Ukrainians wouldn't sell if the big boat were going to be used for military purposes.
So the Chinese said "Ahhh...casino"
"That's it, we're only going to use it as a floating casino, Chinese people like to gamble, come on lucky 8, that's the ticket!"
Here's the Casino:
I can't wait to see what's cookin' in the icebreaker laboratories. They will use the experience gained building that ship to build their second Chinese-made carrier (third total) which will be built to an entirely new plan.
- "China’s Polar Strategy: An Emerging Gray Zone?"
- "China opens bids for first nuclear-powered icebreaker"
- "China to Use First Atomic Icebreaker as Test for Future Nuclear Aircraft Carriers"
- "As the Arctic's attractions mount, Greenland is a security black hole"
- Greenland Passes On the Opportunity To Be Part Of China's One Belt, One Road
- Chinese Investment In Greenland and Iceland
- "Commodity Traders Could Be a Key Beneficiary of Climate Change"
- Greenland's sand barons as well.*
- "China’s Emerging Strategies in the Arctic""President Trump Eyes a New Real-Estate Purchase: Greenland"
Russia To Introduce Nuclear-Powered Ice-Breaking Submarines
Because, why not?