Chinese icebreaker makes port call in Murmansk

The Xue Long 2 set out from the Chinese port city of Qingdao on the 7th July and subsequently set course for the Bering Strait. Following its passage into the Chukchi Sea, the 122 meter long ship is believed to have sailed towards the North Pole.

One and a half month later it sailed into the Kola Bay and moored in a downtown port. Locals in the Russian Arctic city could on the 28th of August see the vessel being assisted by tugs into the harbour area.

The Xue Long 2 on the 28th of August 2024 arrived in Murmansk. It is the first visit of a Chinese icebreaker to the Russian Arctic city. Video by Belokamenka51 on VK

The research icebreaker that is owned and managed by the Chinese Polar Institute is on its annual Arctic expedition. The about 100 expedition members take part in research geology and geophysics of the Arctic seabed and conduct investigations of atmospheric, sea ice and marine environments.

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But the state-owned vessel is also on a political mission.

The visit to Murmansk is the first ever of its kind and comes as relations between Murmansk and Beijing get increasingly intimate.

In May 2023, Murmansk Governor Andrei Chibis paid a visit to Shanghai as part of a major Russian delegation to the China-Russia Business Forum.

During the event, a special emphasis was made on the development of the Northern Sea Route and new joint industries, among them in production and processing of minerals, the governor informed on social media VK.

In September 2023, Chibis welcomed a Chinese business delegation to Murmansk.

“We are entering a new level of partnership with China,” the regional leader said during the visit. The Chinese businessmen represented port and shipping companies and they were reportedly interested in the development of the Northern Sea Route.

In August 2024, it became known that the Chinese MCC International Incorporation Ltd will join the development of the Kolmozerskoye lithium resources in the Kola Peninsula.

Beijing is increasingly interested in the Arctic and is building new vessels designed for shipping through the remote and icy waters. In early July this year, Chinese authorities officially commissioned its new icebreaking research vessel,  the Jidi (“Polar”).

At the same time, China is expanding its research activities in the far northern region, including in the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.