Using critical geopolitical discourse to examine China’s engagement in Arctic affairs

Abstract

ABSTRACT The People’s Republic of China is increasingly active in Arctic affairs. Its 2018 Arctic Policy and other texts and actions have received considerable attention and scrutiny from other countries. We use a critical geopolitical discourse framework to consider a wide range of actors within China. Doing so advances the concept of ‘discourse’ in the field of critical geopolitics by considering various aspects of ‘practice’. After examining cases in the economic, political, scientific and cultural spheres, we find that China’s discourse is broadly coherent, emphasizing cooperation and respect for the sovereignty of Arctic states. However, there is also substantial evidence of divergence in some areas. Chinese businesses have not embraced the Polar Silk Road despite strong government support for the initiative, and China’s continued claim to be a ‘near Arctic state’ is rejected by the United States and others. These discrepancies suggest that China has not created a consistent internal habitus, and that a common international field for Arctic engagement remains elusive. Empirically, the findings suggest specific areas of China’s Arctic engagement to monitor further. Theoretically, our findings support the importance of attention to habitus and field in addition to texts and actions as part of critical geopolitical discourse.