Commentary
ASIAN-ARCTIC COOPERATION: A BRIEFING
ON THE
CHINA-NORDIC ARCTIC RESEARCH CENTER (CNARC)
Deng Beixi & Yang Jian
In May 2013, China, together with five other states, was granted observer status in the Arctic
Council. By December that year, with joint efforts by Nordic and Chinese research institutes, the
China-Nordic Arctic Research Center (CANRC) was established and has evolves from a nascent
and immature conception to now a reality and functioning entity that is to eventually develop
into a full-fledged platform for academic exchanges between China and Nordic countries. The
initiative and development of CNARC has aroused attention from other Arctic and non-Arctic
states, marking a highlight of international cooperation on Arctic issues.
Committed to increasing an in-depth and comprehensive awareness, understanding and
knowledge of the Arctic and its global impacts and to promoting cooperation for sustainable
development of Nordic Arctic and coherent development of China in a global context, CNARC
is currently composed of 11 member institutes, 6 from Nordic states and 5 from China, all
leading think-tanks and institutes in Arctic studies in their respective country and endowed with
capacities to influence, coordinate and initiate Arctic research in their professional fields.
CNARC is structured with an Assembly of Member Institutes, a Director and a Secretariat. The
Assembly, formed by representatives from each member institute, convenes annually and
operates by consensus. The Director and Secretariat are currently hosted at the Polar Research
Institute of China, responsible for the routine operations of CNARC and carrying out advice for
development from the Assembly.
CNARC facilitates China-Nordic cooperation in the following forms: 1) carrying out joint
research projects in accordance with research themes in respect of Arctic climate change, Arctic
resources, shipping and economy, as well as Arctic policy-making and legislation; 2) developing
Deng Beixi is the Executive Secretary of CNARC, Polar Research Institute of China. Yang Jian is the
Vice President of the Shanghai Institutes of International Studies, and an Editorial Board member of the
Arctic Yearbook.