Abstract
This chapter uses the case of the Arctic and China’s engagement in the Arctic to contribute to a better understanding of the potential and limitations of the power transition, not only in the Arctic, but also more generally. First, it outlines the key characteristics of Arctic politics and governance, with special attention to the Arctic Council. It then reviews the ways in which China’s growing role in the Arctic stands to shape the regional settings orchestrated by the eight Arctic states. It concludes that due to climate change, globalisation and power transition, the Arctic has become deeply intertwined with global governance processes, and it will be increasingly difficult for the Arctic Council to maintain its position as a principal secondary institution in the Arctic.
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Acknowledgements
This research was funded by the Academy of Finland (project no. 315402: The Rise of China and Normative Transformation in the Arctic Region) and supported by the Research Council of Norway (project no. 314457: China in the Arctic: External Influence on Regional Governance).
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Kopra, S. (2022). China and a New Order in the Arctic. In: Knudsen, T.B., Navari, C. (eds) Power Transition in the Anarchical Society. Palgrave Studies in International Relations. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97711-5_13
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