Skip to main content

Participation in and Strategic Arrangements for Arctic Affairs by the United States: Seeking Collective Security in a New Era

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Arctic Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

As the key player in the game surrounding the North Pole, the United States has made a series of adjustments to its Arctic policy from the Second World War and through the Cold War to the present. The strategic significance of the Arctic to the United States is currently increasing amidst simultaneous tensions with China and Russia. The three countries, which form a New Arctic Strategic Triangle and are now experiencing the coldest period of their relations since the end of the Cold War, will continue to play a fierce game in the freezing Arctic Ocean.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Sheng, L., & do Nascimento, D. F. (2021b). Love and trade war: China and US in historical context. Springer.

  2. 2.

    Sheng, L. (2014a). Capital controls and international development: A theoretical reconsideration. Global Policy, 5(1), 114–120.

  3. 3.

    Sheng, L., & Zhao, W. (2016). Strategic destination management in the face of foreign competition: The case of Macao SAR. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 33(2), 263–278.

  4. 4.

    Sheng, L., Li, T., & Wang, J. (2017). Tourism and externalities in an urban context: Theoretical model and empirical evidence. Cities, 70, 40–45.

  5. 5.

    Yin, Y. C., & Sheng, L. (2021). Theorizing about global imbalances: An inequality perspective. Argumenta Oeconomica, 46, 169–181.

  6. 6.

    Sheng, L., & do Nascimento, D. F. (2021b). Love and trade war: China and the US in historical context. Springer.

  7. 7.

    Huebert, R. (2009). United States Arctic policy: The reluctant Arctic power. University of Calgary, The School of Public Policy–University of Calgary Publications Series, 2(2).

  8. 8.

    Haycox, S. (2020). Arctic policy of the United States: An historical survey. In The Palgrave handbook of Arctic policy and politics (pp. 233–250). Palgrave Macmillan.

  9. 9.

    Huebert, R. (2009). United States arctic policy: The reluctant arctic power. University of Calgary, The School of Public Policy–University of Calgary Publications Series, 2(2).

  10. 10.

    Nilsson, A. E. (2018). The United States and the making of an Arctic nation. Polar Record, 54(2), 95–107.

  11. 11.

    Sheng, L. (2021). How Covid-19 reshapes new world order: Political economy perspective. Springer.

  12. 12.

    Käpylä, J., & Mikkola, H. (2019). Contemporary Arctic meets world politics: Rethinking Arctic exceptionalism in the age of uncertainty. In The Global Arctic Handbook (pp. 153–169). Springer.

  13. 13.

    Lavorio, A. (2021). Geography, climate change, national security: The case of the evolving US Arctic strategy. The International Spectator, 56(1), 111–125.

  14. 14.

    United States Navy. (2019). Strategic outlook for Arctic, 14.

  15. 15.

    Sheng, L., & do Nascimento D. F. (2021a). The Belt and road initiative in South-South cooperation: The impact on world trade and geopolitics. Palgrave MacMillan.

  16. 16.

    Ibid.

  17. 17.

    Mariia, K. (2019). China’s Arctic policy: Present and future. The Polar Journal, 9(1), 94–112.

  18. 18.

    Allison, G. (2018, December 14). China and Russia: A strategic alliance in the making. The Center for the National Interest.

  19. 19.

    McCann, K. B., McMullin, J. A., & Turvold, W. D. (2020). Before it’s too late: US Maritime Grand Strategy in the Indian Ocean and the Arctic Ocean. Daniel K. Inouye Asia–Pacific Center for Security Studies.

  20. 20.

    Conley, H. A., & Melino, M. (2019). The implications of US policy stagnation toward the Arctic region. JSTOR.

  21. 21.

    Vakhshouri, S. (2017). America first energy plan: Renewing the confidence of American energy producers.

  22. 22.

    Harball, E. (2018, October). Trump administration approves first oil production in federal Arctic waters.

  23. 23.

    Urpelainen, J., & Van de Graaf, T. (2018). United States non-cooperation and the Paris agreement. Climate Policy, 18(7), 839–851.

  24. 24.

    Arlota, C. (2021). Cost & benefit analysis of the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.

  25. 25.

    Hejny, J. (2018). The Trump Administration and environmental policy: Reagan redux? Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 8(2), 197–211.

  26. 26.

    Van de Ven, D.J., Westphal, M., Gonzalez‐Eguino, M., Gambhir, A., Peters, G., Sognnaes, I., McJeon, H., Hultman, N., Kennedy, K., & Cyrs, T. (2021). The impact of US re‐engagement in climate on the Paris targets. Earth’s Future, 9(9).

  27. 27.

    The Biden plan for a clean energy revolution and environmental justice. Biden & Harris.

  28. 28.

    Burzynska-Hernandez, O. (2021). Action in the Arctic: Lack of US leadership expands opportunities for Russia and China. Climate Security Risk Briefers, 42.

  29. 29.

    Beixi, D. (2016). Arctic geopolitics. Arctic.

  30. 30.

    Huebert, R. (2019). Breaking the ice curtain? Russia, Canada, and Arctic security in a changing circumpolar world (pp. 75–93).

  31. 31.

    Nikulin, M. (2021, February). The Arctic as a potential space for Great Power Competition. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 678(1), 012,034. IOP Publishing.

  32. 32.

    Olesen, M. R. (2017). Arctic rivalries: Friendly competition or dangerous conflict? (DIIS Working Paper No. 2017: 06).

  33. 33.

    Sliwa, Z., & Aliyev, N. (2020). Strategic competition or possibilities for cooperation between the United States and Russia in the Arctic. The Journal of Slavic Military Studies, 33(2), 214–236.

  34. 34.

    Wither, J. K. (2021). An Arctic security dilemma: Assessing and mitigating the risk of unintended armed conflict in the High North. European Security (pp. 1–18).

  35. 35.

    Bouffard, T. J., & Rodman, L. L. (2021). US Arctic security strategies: Balancing strategic and operational dimensions. The Polar Journal, 1–28.

  36. 36.

    Woody, C. (2021, March 11). The heavy-duty ship the US needs to protect its thawing border with Russia “is just falling apart,” captain says. Business Insider.

  37. 37.

    Gilmour, J. G. (2021). NORAD: Renewal of the North warning system by Canada—or Not? 7.

  38. 38.

    Trenin, D. (2020). It will get worse before it gets worse. Horizons: Journal of International Relations and Sustainable Development, 17, 86–93.

  39. 39.

    Urpelainen, J., & Van de Graaf, T. (2018). United States non-cooperation and the Paris agreement. Climate Policy, 18(7), 839–851.

  40. 40.

    Peng, J., & Wegge, N. (2015). China's bilateral diplomacy in the Arctic. Polar Geography, 38(3), 233–249.

  41. 41.

    Sheng, L. (2014b). Economic structure, cost outsourcing and global imbalances. Journal of Australian Political Economy, 74, 81–95.

  42. 42.

    Sheng, L. (2015). Theorizing income inequality in the face of financial globalization. The Social Science Journal, 52(3), 415–424.

  43. 43.

    Bouffard, T., Greaves, W., Lackenbauer, P. W., & Teeple, N. (2020). North American Arctic security expectations in a new US administration. NAADSN Strategic Perspectives, 23.

  44. 44.

    Conley, H. A., Tsafos, N., & Williams, I. (2020). America's Arctic moment: Great power competition in the Arctic to 2050. Center for Strategic and International Studies.

  45. 45.

    Heurlin, B. (2019). China-US confrontations in the Arctic region: Strategies and policies. Asian Studies International Journal, 1(1), 8–15.

  46. 46.

    United States Navy. (2019). Strategic outlook for Arctic, 14.

  47. 47.

    Pompeo, M. R. (2019). Looking north: Sharpening America’s Arctic focus. US Department of State, 6.

  48. 48.

    Antsygina, E., Heininen, L. L. M., & Komendantova, N. (2020). A comparative study on the cooperation in the Arctic Ocean and the South China Sea. In The Arctic. Current issues and challenges (pp. 83–107).

  49. 49.

    Patey, L. (2020). Managing US-China rivalry in the Arctic: Small states can be players in great power competition. Danish Institute for International Studies.

  50. 50.

    Kruse, S., & Winther, L. (2019, December 10). Banned recording reveals China ambassador threatened Faroese leader at secret meeting. Berlingske.

  51. 51.

    Saxena, A. (2021, March 19). The return of Great power competition to the Arctic. The Arctic Institute.

  52. 52.

    Brady, A.-M. (2019). Facing up to China’s military interests in the Arctic. China Brief, 19(21).

  53. 53.

    Tillman, H., Yang, J., & Nielsson, E. T. (2018). The polar silk road: China’s new frontier of international cooperation. China Quarterly of International Strategic Studies, 4(3), 345–362.

  54. 54.

    Li, J. Y. (2020). The change of Western cognition of “the Belt and Road” and China's guiding strategy. Modern Economics & Management Forum.

  55. 55.

    Hossain, K. (2019). China’s BRI expansion and great power ambition: The Silk Road on the ice connecting the Arctic. Cambridge Journal of Eurasian Studies, 3.

  56. 56.

    Han, Z., & Paul, T. V. (2020). China’s rise and balance of power politics. The Chinese Journal of International Politics, 13(1), 1–26.

  57. 57.

    Parepa, L. A. (2020). The Belt and Road Initiative as continuity in Chinese foreign policy. Journal of Contemporary East Asia Studies, 9(2), 175–201.

  58. 58.

    Rolland, N. (2017). China's “Belt and road initiative”: Underwhelming or game-changer?. The Washington Quarterly, 40(1), 127–142.

  59. 59.

    Li, M. (2020b). The Belt and Road Initiative: geo-economics and Indo-Pacific security competition. International Affairs, 96(1), 169–187.

  60. 60.

    Len, C. (2015). China's 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiative, energy security and SLOC access. Maritime Affairs: Journal of the National Maritime Foundation of India, 11(1), 1–18.

  61. 61.

    Myers, L. (2021, July 20). Internal politics, instability, and China’s frustrated efforts to escape the “Malacca Dilemma”. Wilson Center.

  62. 62.

    Rush, D., Alexis, D., H., & Gaoqi, Z. (2021). Northern expedition: China’s Arctic activities and ambitions. Foreign Policy at Brookings.

  63. 63.

    Musto, R. A. (2019). Antarctic arms control as past precedent. Polar Record, 55(5), 330–333.

  64. 64.

    Robinson, J. (2020). Arctic space challenge for NATO emerging from China’s economic and financial Assertiveness. JAPCC Journal, issue 30.

References

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Edmund Li Sheng .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Sheng, E.L. (2022). Participation in and Strategic Arrangements for Arctic Affairs by the United States: Seeking Collective Security in a New Era. In: Arctic Opportunities and Challenges. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-1246-7_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics