15th Five-Year Plan — 9DASHLINE

The Polar Silk Road: Nine Years On and Still Not a Master Plan for the Arctic

Written by Erdem Lamazhapov

Fears that the Polar Silk Road is an instrument for gaining control in the Arctic or over Greenland mistake what is essentially a slogan for a coherent, centrally-directed strategy. Still, while the slogan is heard less frequently these days, it has not yet fallen into obscurity. Under the right conditions, China might find it useful to defrost the Polar Silk Road.

China: The missing presence at COP26

Written by Barbara Pongratz and Nis Grünberg

Calculations have shown that China needs to peak earlier than 2030 to keep global warming below 1.5°C. At this point, a degree of climate competition might be even more useful than cooperation. The EU needs to overtake China in its commitments and lead by example.