The Arctic: China's New Domain

... continental shelf claims that exceed these EEZs. China is likely to dispute Russian and Canadian claims to sovereignty over their seaways, in which it could potentially get support from the European Union and the USA. [14] However, scholars say that China should be cautious in asserting claims to the Arctic Ocean. The notion that the polar waters should be international territory might be turned against its own claims to sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, the Senkaku and Diaoyu Islands and even the island state of Taiwan.[15] Chinese are well aware that their territorial ...