A Radio show about the Arctic was on the China Radio International (CRI) called "Beyond Bejing". The CRI is the only overseas broadcaster in the People's Republic of China and is owned and operated by the state. The CRI is one of the "three central media organizations in China" along with China National Radio (CNR) and China Central Television (CCTV).
The discussion of the radio show was "Territorial Competition in the North Pole". Further description of the show is that The North Pole, a region covered by floating ice has long been an area of interest. It's been discovered the region is not just home to ice and the occasional polar bear but its sea bed may hold significant oil and gas reserves. Further as the ice caps melt new highly lucrative shipping and strategic lanes may open.And after years of diplomatic discussions between competing nations, Russia and Canada are both moving troops into the Arctic Cricle for the summer months. This change in posture as well as the worlds depleting energy resources raises concerns over the possibility of an open conflict over our most uninhabited section of the world.
Participants in the discussion are:
- Jia Xiudong, Senior Research Fellow with the China Institute of International Studies.
- Wenran Jiang, Professor at the University of Alberta, Senior Fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, and Special Advisor on China for The Energy Council.
- Lassi Heininem, Professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Lapland in Finland and the Chair of the Northern Research Forum Steering Committee.
The interview is one hour long. To listen to the show see below
Territorial Competition in the North Pole discussion on CRI
For further information, see the CRI webpage