Аннотация на статью Comparison of cooperation programs between South Korea’s “New Northern Policy” and China’s “Ice Silk Road” initiative
Relative information:
Written by: Guo Peiqing, Song Han
Title: Comparison of cooperation programs between South Korea’s “New Northern Policy” and China’s “Ice Silk Road” initiative (??“?????”???“??????”????????)
Publication: Zhongguo haiyang daxue xuebao
Publishing language: Chinese
Date: November 2020
Paper review:
Both China and South Korea are Asian countries actively participating in Arctic affairs. In 2017, the Moon Jae-in government of South Korea proposed the "New Northern Policy", which involved the Arctic development plan. This article explores whether there is a basis for cooperation or competition between the "New Northern Policy" and the "Ice Silk Road".
South Korea’s “New Northern Policy” and China’s “Ice Silk Road” initiative have something in common. Both include an important northward development strategy and form the basis of their cooperation. The "New Northern Policy" is the diplomatic strategy of the Moon Jae-in government in serving the “New Economic Map of the Korean Peninsula” to develop northward. It is a successor to the "Northern Policy" of previous Korean governments. It is highly valued by the Korean government and is directly under the authority of the President. The Northern Economic Cooperation Committee" led the implementation. To promote the implementation of the “New Northern Policy”, South Korea formulated the “Nine Bridges Strategy.” Through the implementation of the "Nine Bridges Strategy", South Korea hopes to deepen cooperation with North Korea, China, Russia, Mongolia, Central Asia and other countries in the nine major areas, promote economic connectivity on the peninsula and expand South Korea's economy "to the north". The main areas involved in the development of the Arctic in the implementation of the "Nine Bridges Strategy" are Arctic waterways, natural gas, and shipbuilding. As a country highly dependent on foreign trade and overseas resources, the Arctic also has important political and economic significance for South Korea. The use of the Arctic Waterway will greatly shorten the distance between South Korea and its important trading partner, Europe, and the icebreakers needed for the Arctic Waterway will also revitalize South Korea’s shipbuilding industry and drive South Korea’s economic growth. Daewoo Shipyard has built 15 LNG icebreakers for the Yamal project. In the development of the Arctic waterway, both China and South Korea hope to “promote the commercial use of the Arctic waterway”. Both countries take Russia as the key cooperation partner for the development of the Arctic waterway. China has the advantage of capital and South Korea has the advantage of icebreaker construction. The joint efforts of China and South Korea can accelerate the commercialization of the Arctic waterway.
However, there are also some cooperation problems between China and South Korea. On the one hand, South Korea hopes to obtain substantial benefits through economic cooperation with China, and on the other hand, it is worried that China will control South Korea economically. The cooperation between the "New Northern Policy" and the “Ice Silk Road” initiative may be disrupted by the United States. Japan's attitude also affects the results of the initiative, because the Sea of Japan is the gateway for China and South Korea to enter and exit the Arctic waterway. Finally, due to the similarity of Arctic interests between China and South Korea and the similarities in participating in the Arctic economy, the two countries will inevitably form homogeneous competition in certain areas in the process of cooperation with Arctic countries.