EIRNS—China is investing $300 million to build up the port in Murmansk, the city on the Arctic at the far northwestern corner of Russia. China’s Poly Group Corp., according to Global Times yesterday , aims at facilitating greater use of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) from Northern Europe to East Asia via the Arctic. The first commerical ship from China to Europe through the Arctic in 2015 "sailed nearly 20,000 nautical miles during the 55-day voyage," according to Xinhua, thereby avoiding the choke point at the Malacca Strait, and saving a great deal of time.

Global Times adds, "The NSR has the potential to become a significant new area for cooperation between China and Russia. It is expected that the Belt and Road initiative will create an opportunity for Russia’s NSR ambitions to turn into reality."
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