EU Arctic policy flags China-Russia alignment; Beijing urges polar cooperation over threat framing

The EU's new Arctic policy, released Tuesday, identifies Russia as the primary threat and warns of China's growing strategic ambitions in the region through its deepening alignment with Moscow. Chinese analysts counter that Europe should cooperate with Beijing on Arctic shipping rather than treat it as a threat tied to Russia. The divergence signals a potential rift in Arctic governance, with implications for transatlantic security and polar infrastructure development.