Geographical Remoteness Research Articles

Cancer treatment and the risk of cancer death among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal South Australians: analysis of a matched cohort study

BackgroundAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians have poorer cancer outcomes than other Australians. Comparatively little is known of the type and amount of cancer treatment provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the consequences for cancer survival. This study quantifies the influence of surgical, systemic and radiotherapy treatment on risk of cancer death among matched cohorts of cancer cases and, the comparative exposure of cohorts to these treatments.MethodsCancers registered among Aboriginal South Australians in 1990–2010 (N = 777) were matched with randomly selected non-Indigenous cases by sex, birth and diagnostic year, and primary site, then linked to administrative cancer treatment for the period from 2 months before to 13 months after diagnosis. Competing risk regression summarised associations of Indigenous status, geographic remoteness, comorbidities, cancer stage and treatment exposure with risk of cancer death.ResultsFewer Aboriginal cases had localised disease at diagnosis (37.2% versus 50.2%) and they were less likely to: experience hospitalisation with cancer diagnosis, unadjusted odds ratio (UOR) = 0.76; 95%CI = 0.59–0.98; have surgery UOR = 0.65; 95%CI = 0.53–0.80; systemic therapies UOR = 0.64; 95%CI = 0.52–0.78; or radiotherapy, UOR = 0.76; 95%CI = 0.63–0.94. Localised disease carried lower risk of cancer death compared to advanced cases receiving surgery or systemic therapies, SHR = 0.34; 95%CI = 0.25–0.47 and SHR = 0.35; 95%CI = 0.25–0.48. Advanced disease and no treatment carried higher risk of cancer death, SHR = 1.82; 95%CI = 1.26–2.63.ConclusionThe effects of treatment did not differ between Aboriginal and non-Indigenous cohorts. However, comparatively less exposure to surgical and systemic treatments among Aboriginal cancer cases further complicated the disadvantages associated with geographic remoteness, advanced stage of disease and co-morbid conditions at diagnosis and add to disparities in cancer death. System level responses to improving access, utilisation and quality of effective treatments are needed to improve survival after cancer diagnosis.

Prevalence, associations and characteristics of severe uncorrected refractive error in the Australian National Eye Health Survey.

In Australia, nationally representative data of the burden and associations of severe uncorrected refractive error are scarce. To report the prevalence and characteristics of severe uncorrected refractive error in Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Population-based cross-sectional study. A total of 3098 non-Indigenous Australians aged 50 to 98 and 1738 Indigenous Australians aged 40 to 92 living in 30 randomly selected Australian sites were examined. Severe uncorrected refractive error was defined as an improvement of ≥2 lines on the logMAR chart in one or both eyes in participants with a presenting visual acuity <6/12. Severe uncorrected refractive error RESULTS: Prevalence of severe uncorrected refractive error was 11.0% (95% confidence interval 9.3-13.0) in non-Indigenous and 14.5% (12.5-16.7) in Indigenous Australians. Eighty-two percent of non-Indigenous and 77% of Indigenous participants had a spherical equivalent refraction between -2.00D and +2.00D. Indigenous Australians who were older (odds ratio [OR] for 70-79 years vs 40-49 years = 3.59), resided in outer regional areas (OR = 1.78) and did not have an eye examination in the previous 2-years (OR = 1.50) were associated with higher odds of severe uncorrected refractive error. Geographical remoteness (OR = .68 for inner regional), male gender (OR = 1.30), older age (OR for 70-79 years vs 50-59 years = 1.51) and failure to have an eye examination in the previous 2-years (OR = 2.06) were associated with severe uncorrected refractive error among non-Indigenous participants. Increased public awareness of the importance of regular optometric examinations may be required in groups at high risk of severe uncorrected refractive error.

Sleep pattern and body mass index gain in Indigenous Australian children

Purpose: This study aims to explore different sleep patterns in Indigenous Australian children and assess the role of sleep patterns in longitudinal changes in body mass index (BMI). Methods: This work is based on wave 5 to wave 8 (2012–2015) data of the Australian Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC) cohort. Latent class analysis was used to determine distinct sleep patterns, taking into account weekday sleep duration, weekdays and weekends bedtimes, and weekday wake times. Multilevel models with a random intercept for child and geographic clusters were used to investigate the role of baseline sleep pattern in predicting longitudinal changes in BMI. Results: Baseline data for 1,258 children (50.7% males), mean age 6.32 years (SD ± 1.52), indicated the presence of five classes of sleep patterns: early/long sleepers (4.5%), normative sleepers (25.5%), late sleepers (49.9%), consistent late sleepers (11.1%), and early risers (9%). Family income, child health, food choices, sleep problems, geographic remoteness and area‐level disadvantage, were found to be significantly associated with sleep patterns in children. Regression results indicate that late sleep pattern is significantly associated with longitudinal gains in BMI. Compared with early sleepers, consistent late sleepers were found to have a significant increase in BMI (β = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.001–2.05, p = 0.05). Conclusions: This study underscores the importance of looking beyond sleep duration and highlighting the positive outcomes of early bedtimes in children. As sleep pattern is modifiable, this offers the opportunity for improvement in sleep and protecting against future weight gain in Indigenous children.

Trade liberalisation and labour shares in China

AbstractWe estimate the extent to which firms responded to tariff reductions associated with China's WTO entry by altering labour's share of value. Firm‐level regressions indicate that firms in industries subject to tariff cuts raised labour's share relative to economy‐wide trends, both through input choices and rent sharing. Our estimates suggest that, on average, an industry that experienced no reductions in output or input tariffs would have a 15.7% lower labour share of value in 2007 than it actually did, assuming the same economy‐wide trends. There is significant variation across firms: the impact attenuates with geographic remoteness and union presence and strengthens with foreign ownership.

Reconciling hyperconsumerism and sustainability in the island ecosystem: A photo essay of men’s street fashion in Honolulu

This visual study explores men’s street fashions in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Due to their geographical remoteness, ethnically diverse population, and attractiveness as tourist destination, the Hawaiian Islands attract a variety of styles. I analyse men’s street wear through the theoretical lenses of hypermodernity and hyperconsumerism, which are characterized by the dissonance between the pleasures of fashion consumption and the associated environmental and social problems. Island ecosystems with dense boundaries between urban areas and the natural environment heighten awareness for sustainability. Detailed discussions of each outfit articulate my observations: men’s street fashions incorporate subtle references to current environmental and social issues to attenuate hyperconsumerist contradictions.

Benthic diatoms species richness at Dvuyakornaya Bay and other coastal sites of Crimea (the Black Sea) under various environments

First-time research of the pristine water area of Dvuyakornaya Bay (South-Eastern Crimea, Black Sea) revealed high taxonomic richness of benthic diatoms (Bacillariophyta). Altogether, 304 species, 78 genera, 37 families and 20 orders were identified. Among them 68 newly-found species for the Black Sea were marked. The largest species number was marked in the genera Navicula (41 species), Nitzschia (29), Amphora (25), Cocconeis (20), Diploneis (16), Lyrella, Fallacia and Planothidium (10 species respectively). Inter-regional comparative analysis of diatom species richness was carried out using Bray-Curtis similarity coefficient and Venn diagrams. Diatom taxocene of Dvuyakornaya Bay (DB) was compared with Bacillariophyta flora from several Crimean coastal sites under different level of anthropogenic impact, i.e. relatively pristine water area near Cape Fiolent (CF) and heavy polluted Sevastopol Bay (SB) and Balaklava Bay (BB). The highest similarity of species composition (58%) was registered between intact biotopes (DB vs CF) and between heavy polluted water areas (SB vs BB), despite the geographical remoteness of the compared areas, differences in hydrological-hydrochemical conditions and in bottom substrates patterns. The lowest species similarity of diatom taxocenes was observed between SB and CF (32.3%) and between SB and DB (36.5%). It was concluded that the content of technogenic pollutants (trace metals, PCBs, PAHs and pesticides) in the bottom sediments, as well as the heterogeneity of microbiotopes are represent major factors influencing on the species composition of benthic Bacillariophyta in the investigated coastal water areas.

Cultural accommodation and the policing of Aboriginal communities: A case study of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands

The relationship between Aboriginal communities and police continues to be a pressing issue in contemporary debates about criminal justice reform in Australia. The Australian Law Reform Commission’s recent Pathways to Justice report offers a set of recommendations on how to interrupt the continuing cycle of Aboriginal people’s disproportionate susceptibility to arrest, police custody, and incarceration. Many of its recommendations are grounded in the principle of building more systematic forms of cultural accommodation and community collaboration into the culture of policing. Some of these principles are already adopted by Australian police authorities in programmes such as the employment of Aboriginal police liaison officers, the inclusion of cultural awareness education in the training of law enforcement personnel, and the guarantee of interpreter services. Focusing upon the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands and drawing upon the reported experiences of Anangu with police, this article examines the extent to which such reforms have transformed Aboriginal/police relations and worked to incorporate cultural difference into the culture of contemporary policing. While none of the policing issues discussed here are unique to the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands, the geographical remoteness of the Lands and the diversity of their communities combine to establish a unique set of policing challenges. Having considered existing strategies to meet these challenges, the article concludes that Aboriginal people’s fuller access to justice requires deeper structural reform to the culture of policing than is yet available.

Equal or unequal opportunities within the criminal justice system from a rural and regional perspective

Approximately a third of NSW criminal charges are dealt with in rural and regional courts. About a third of prisoners in NSW goals come from rural and regional NSW. However, resources – legal and therapeutic – available for rural and regional defendants do not match those available for offenders located in metropolitan areas. Twenty-one significant disparities are identified. Three sources of these disparities are also identified – court proceedings, geographical remoteness, and government failures. The majority of identified disparities, it is argued, is attributable to government failure. Recent changes to sentencing law and practices in the administration of sentences are looked at from a rural perspective and potential new and continuing disparities are identified. The limitations arising from the disparities to the exercise of judicial discretion with a rural setting are explained particularly with reference to sentencing.

Epidemiology of pre-hospital outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Queensland, Australia.

To describe incidence in pre-hospital outcomes of adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) of presumed cardiac aetiology, attended by Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) paramedics between 2002 and 2014, by age, gender, geographical remoteness and socio-economic status. The QAS OHCA Registry was used to identify cases, which was then linked with Queensland Hospital Admitted Patient Data Collection and Queensland Death Registry. Population data were obtained for each calendar year by age and gender from the Australian Bureau of Statistics in order to calculate incidence rates. Four mutually exclusive pre-hospital outcomes were analysed: (i) no resuscitation (No-Resus); (ii) resuscitation, no pre-hospital return of spontaneous circulation (No-ROSC); (iii) resuscitation, pre-hospital return of spontaneous circulation not sustained to hospital (Unsustained-ROSC); and (iv) resuscitation, pre-hospital return of spontaneous circulation sustained to hospital (Sustained-ROSC). Over the 13 years, there were 30 560 OHCA cases for analyses. Incidence was significantly greater in males than females and incrementally increased with age, for each outcome. Incidence of total OHCA events generally increased as remoteness increased (major cities: 72.39 per 100 000 [95% CI 71.35-73.45]; very remote: 87.01 per 100 000 [95% CI 78.03-95.98]). There was an inverse association between incidence of OHCA events and socio-economic status (SEIFA 1 and 2: 81.34 per 100 000 [95% CI 79.28-83.40]; SEIFA 9 and 10: 61.57 per 100 000 [95% CI 59.67-63.46]). Rural-specific strategies should be continued. Prevention and management strategies for OHCA targeting lower socio-economic groups require focus.

Pre-hospital outcomes of adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrest of presumed cardiac aetiology in Queensland, Australia (2002-2014): Trends over time.

To describe temporal trends in incidence of pre-hospital outcomes from adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) of presumed cardiac aetiology attended by Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) paramedics between 2002 and 2014, by age, gender, geographical remoteness and socio-economic status. Cases included in this retrospective cohort study were identified from the QAS OHCA Registry. Included cases were linked with Queensland Hospital Admitted Patient Data Collection and Queensland Death Registry. Population data were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics to calculate incidence rates for each year. Analyses were undertaken by four mutually exclusive pre-hospital outcomes: (i) no resuscitation (No-Resus); (ii) resuscitation, no pre-hospital return of spontaneous circulation (No-ROSC); (iii) resuscitation, pre-hospital return of spontaneous circulation not sustained to hospital (Unsustained-ROSC); and (iv) resuscitation, pre-hospital return of spontaneous circulation sustained to hospital (Sustained-ROSC). Trends over time were analysed for crude and specific rates for total OHCA events and for each outcome. Between 2002 and 2014, there were 30 560 OHCA cases. Crude incidence significantly increased over time for No-Resus and Sustained-ROSC, and significantly decreased for No-ROSC. These trends were reflected in major cities, inner and outer regional areas. There was a significant increase in Sustained-ROSC in remote areas, and no significant trends in very remote areas. Incidence of withholding resuscitation and ROSC sustained to hospital have independently increased over time. Factors of middle age, more rural location and lower socio-economic status should all be targeted in the development and implementation of future strategies.

The Quality of Life of Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease on Dialysis in South Africa: A Grounded Theory Analysis

Introduction: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a global health problem with increasing prevalence worldwide. The number of patients with ESRD will increase to almost 60% by 2020, with the potential to greatly impact patients’ quality of life (QOL). This study aimed to explore and analyze QOL in patients with ESRD on dialysis. Methods: Grounded theory, under pinned by a social constructivism paradigm, was used. Data collection occurred simultaneously in the natural settings of four selected public hospitals. A coding process was used to analyze rich data and generate findings from three focus group discussions. Results: Results revealed that some participants scheduled for hemodialysis three times a week and others performing peritoneal dialysis four times a day lost their jobs. Young participants in the study worried about changes in body image due to dialysis and reported psychological discomfort. Others felt that they were a burden to their families as they sought transportation assistance at all times for hospital visits and dialysis. Most participants no longer engaged in social activities because of restrictions imposed by their dialysis schedules. However, good social support enabled participants to survive the challenges they encountered on dialysis. Discussion: Three overarching categories emerged from this study, living in fear causing stress and depression, dependency, and geographical remoteness, which contributed to poor QOL in participants with ESRD.

Prevalence and characteristics of energy intake under-reporting among Australian adults in 1995 and 2011 to 2012.

Misreporting of energy intake is a common source of measurement error found in dietary surveys, resulting in biased estimates and a reduction in statistical power. The present study aims to refine the conventional cut-off methods and to examine the extent to which Australian adults misreport their energy intake, and the characteristics of under-reporters between two time points. A revised Goldberg cut-off approach was used to identify those who reported implausible intake amounts in a secondary analysis of two large cross-sectional surveys. Identified low energy reporters were then used as the outcome variable in Poisson regressions to examine association with sex, age, body mass index (BMI), weight perceptions, education, relative household income, geographic remoteness and relative socioeconomic disadvantage. The prevalence of under-reporting increased from 32% in 1995 to 41% in 2012, most of which can be attributed to an increase in men. Under-reporting has a positive association with BMI and relative socioeconomic disadvantage, but an inverse association with age, education, relative household income and residence in inner regional areas. Under-reporting of energy intake is high in Australian adults, and appears have worsened over time in men, which could be partly explained by the upward trend in obesity. The use of conventional Goldberg method to identify under-reporters can greatly underestimate the prevalence of under-reporting, future studies should consider selecting a lower critical value to improve accuracy.

General tendencies and priorities in the staff potential development in public libraries of Khabarovsk region and Republic of Belarus: the international cooperation experience

Sociological research “Human resources of public libraries: modern requirements for professional activity and opportunities for its implementation” was carried out by the Far Eastern State Scientific Library. It was made on the base public libraries in Khabarovsk region within the framework of the partnership and cooperation agreement with the National Library of Belarus. A comparative analysis of the results of the survey of employees in both libraries allowed to identify the characteristic features of personnel problems of public libraries of the Khabarovsk region, to assess the existing the library system of training, to show the level of professional selfassessment of employees, their willingness to accept new knowledge, to determine the professional competence that the managers and ordinary employees of libraries that would like to improve. Despite the geographical remoteness of the Khabarovsk region and Belarus, the peculiarities of social and historical development of the territories, the differences in the structure and density of municipal libraries network, the number of staff, the analysis of the results of the survey of library specialists showed the presence of common personnel problems in the library industry, regardless of the region and its social and economic well-being: the aging of the main staff in libraries, the shortage of specialized human resources and a significant number of specialists in related fields in library industry.

General tendencies and priorities in the staff potential development in public libraries of Khabarovsk region and Republic of Belarus: the international cooperation experience

Sociological research “Human resources of public libraries: modern requirements for professional activity and opportunities for its implementation” was carried out by the Far Eastern State Scientific Library. It was made on the base public libraries in Khabarovsk region within the framework of the partnership and cooperation agreement with the National Library of Belarus. A comparative analysis of the results of the survey of employees in both libraries allowed to identify the characteristic features of personnel problems of public libraries of the Khabarovsk region, to assess the existing the library system of training, to show the level of professional selfassessment of employees, their willingness to accept new knowledge, to determine the professional competence that the managers and ordinary employees of libraries that would like to improve. Despite the geographical remoteness of the Khabarovsk region and Belarus, the peculiarities of social and historical development of the territories, the differences in the structure and density of municipal libraries network, the number of staff, the analysis of the results of the survey of library specialists showed the presence of common personnel problems in the library industry, regardless of the region and its social and economic well-being: the aging of the main staff in libraries, the shortage of specialized human resources and a significant number of specialists in related fields in library industry.

Trends in mental health related contacts among mothers of Aboriginal children in Western Australia (1990–2013): a linked data population-based cohort study of over 40 000 children

ObjectiveThis study examines the scale of maternal mental health related contacts among Australian Aboriginal children over time, and associations with socio-economic characteristics, geographical remoteness and maternal age.DesignA retrospective cohort study...

Moralities and contradictories in the educational aid for Tibet: contesting the multi-layered saviour complex

ABSTRACT Since 2015, China has established a ‘Group Form of Educational Aid for Tibet’ programme to dispatch ethnic Han majority teachers from inland cities to teach in Tibetan schools for a short period of time. Through the programme, the state aims to offer the gift of educational development to this highland area with a concentrated Tibetan minority population. With data from official documents, school observations, interviews, and colloquiums, this study examines the moralities and contradictories in the process of educational aid for Tibet (EAT). Analyses on the narratives of the aid-Tibet teachers (ATT) have revealed a multi-layered ‘saviour complex’ parallel to the ‘White saviour complex’ in Western societies. The construction of the Tibetan environment as harsh – given its high altitude, oxygen scarcity, geographic remoteness, inconvenient transportation, and underdeveloped economy – is critical to the construction of ATTs as moral actors. The aid is glorified as moral sacrifice and the contributions of ATTs from the developed inland for the state, the peripheral Tibet, and Tibetans are accentuated, while the benefits they have enjoyed and the contradictories in the aid process are underemphasised. This study sheds light on ethnic politics in China by critically unpacking the ‘saviour complex’ in the developmental discourses.

Perceptions of Vanuatu seasonal workers on conducting oral health promotion in their community

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlJd_Mv2ApU&#x0D; Introduction: Poor oral health is a significant public health problem in Vanuatu, and in Melanesia more generally. It has a negative impact on overall health and well-being and is linked to heart disease and diabetes. Determinants of health such as poverty, poor diet, geographical remoteness, and limited oral health care are some of the contributing factors of poor oral health in Vanuatu. Vanuatu seasonal workers visit Aotearoa New Zealand annually under the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Scheme, for the purposes of fruit processing. Fruit of the Pacific (FOP), a charitable trust, has collaborated with Oral Health at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) to provide oral health care to seasonal workers since 2010. Emerging from these relationships, a community-led initiative was undertaken by returning workers to Vanuatu in collaboration with FOP involving good oral health, especially tooth-brushing.&#x0D; Method: In 2016, a small-scale study was undertaken of the perceptions of Vanuatu seasonal workers’ of oral health promotion in their community. An exploratory focus group discussion with seasonal workers and a contextual review of sources was undertaken. This paper discusses oral health in Vanuatu and presents the findings of the study.&#x0D; Results/Discussion: The seasonal workers are well aware of the poor oral health of their communities, describing important gains from community-led sharing of oral health messages, including cultural knowledge, empathy, and appropriate forms of communication. They noted that stakeholders and funders are needed on an ongoing basis to support such mechanisms. &#x0D; Conclusion: The study presents and discusses a positive case of Pacific community leaders from migrant diaspora taking action on oral health. This can inform similar actions in Vanuatu, Melanesia, and other Pacific island communities. Further research would be valuable to explore community oral health messaging in Vanuatu and in other settings. Given the potential of the ‘digital dividend’ for greater access to the internet in future, ehealth promotion tools alongside appropriate community programming, might provide a low cost and sustainable model of Pacific oral health promotion.

International Commercial Arbitration in Australia: Judicial Control over Arbitral Awards

Geographical remoteness has not prevented Australia from pursuing its ambition to become a major hub for international commercial arbitration (ICA). While regional competitors in the Asia-Pacific region such as Singapore and Hong Kong have already achieved great success in the arbitration world, Australia’s ‘Tyranny of Distance’ requires extra efforts to attract ICA cases. Recent marketing from the Australian government emphasises (1) a harmonised legal framework for ICA in line with international standards; (2) sophisticated arbitration institutions; and (3) some of the world’s leading arbitration practitioners. While these factors do reveal strong potential to attract ICA cases, to ensure that this goes beyond a mere possibility, the Australian government and judiciary are making quite concerted broader efforts. The former has recently become more vigorous in marketing Australia-based ICA in and out of the country. The latter has generally tried to issue pro-arbitration judgments particularly over the last ten years, and in public speeches or publications leading judges have been actively summarising and promoting Australian developments both domestically and world-wide. However the court system has structural problems, due to the shared ICA jurisdiction of State and Territory Courts alongside the Federal Courts, compared to the unitary system in Hong Kong and Singapore. There are also persistent delays in court-related ICA matters under the IAA, even in the Federal Court of Australia. Nonetheless, perfection is never attainable. The rest of this paper argues that Australia has significantly improved legal environment for ICA in line with international standards, focusing on the main topics identified for a wider cross-jurisdictional research project: (1) arbitrator bias; (2) conflicts of interests; (3) procedural irregularities and arbitrator’s misconduct during proceedings; (4) arbitrability (objective arbitrability) (5) judicial interpretation of arbitration clauses (subjective arbitrability); and (6) enforceability of arbitral awards.

Socioeconomic gradients in toothache experience among Australian adults: A time trend analysis from 1994 to 2013.

To identify time trend pattern in toothache and to estimate whether toothache prevalence differs by socioeconomic position and residential location over time. Data from nine successive National Dental Telephone Interview Surveys (NDTIS) from 1994 (n=6907) to 2013 (n=6778) performed in Australia among individuals aged 15years or over were used. The dependent variable was toothache reported very often, often or sometimes during the previous 12months. Independent variables were age group, household income (tertiles), insurance/cardholder status and geographical remoteness. Prais-Winsten analyses were performed, and the average annual percentage change (AAPC) for toothache prevalence was estimated. Toothache affected slightly more than 10% of the overall population in 1994 (11.6%) and 1995 (11.4%), reaching approximately one-sixth (16.2%) of individuals in 2013. Overall, there was a significant increase in toothache prevalence over time (AAPC=2.0% [95% CI 0.7;1.34]) and in those aged 25-44 (AAPC 2.1% [95% CI 0.6;3.6]) and 45-64 (AAPC 3.4% [95% CI 1.5;5.3]) years and markedly among those in the lowest income group (AAPC 3.4% [95% CI 0.1;6.7]). All geographic locations except for remote/very remote areas had upward toothache prevalence over time. Insured status was not associated with increased toothache prevalence during the investigated period. Toothache prevalence increased from 1994 to 2013 in Australian adults particularly among the lowest socioeconomic group.

China’s Policy in Arctic region

The article deals with the process of formation of China’s Arctic policy and mechanisms for its implementation. Till the end of the 1990s, Beijing was not interested in the Arctic region because of its geographical remoteness from China, as well as because of the lack of the necessary scientific and technological basis. The economic reforms of 1972 and the establishment of the Arctic Council in 1996 gave an impetus to the development of China’s policy in the Arctic. Since then, China has intensified its activities aimed at expanding the state’s presence in the region. Special attention is given to China’s policy document in the region ― a white paper titled “China’s Arctic Policy”. It is noted that this document was aimed at legitimizing China’s activities in the region.Despite the fact that the Arctic is not a priority region for Beijing, China is a prominent actor there. China’s attention to the Arctic is determined by economic factors, namely, by the possible development of the region’s resources, as well as its transport capacities, which can be used in the framework of the One Belt One Road Initiative.The article analyses China’s cooperation with the «Arctic five» countries and the position of the Arctic States towards intensifying Beijing’s activities in the region. China is promoting cooperation with Norway, Denmark and Iceland. despite the existing contradictions, it is noted that the Arctic states are interested, as Chinese investments play an important role in the development of the region. China has consistently stated the need for greater involvement of interested non-regional states in the multilateral management of the region, while respecting the sovereignty of the Arctic countries.