CHINA- THREE NEW "BLUE ECONOMIC PASSAGES"

On June 20, 2017, Xinhua publicised that China has put forward plans for three ocean-based "blue economic passages" that will connect Asia with Africa, Oceania, Europe and beyond, in a bid to advance maritime cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. The proposal was included in "Vision for Maritime Cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative," which was released on June 20, by the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Oceanic Administration. The document said  China is willing to engage in all-dimensional and broad-scoped maritime cooperation and build open, inclusive cooperation platforms with countries along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, promoting mutually beneficial "blue partnerships" and forging a "blue engine" for sustainable development. The three blue economic passages will be priority maritime cooperation tasks.

The China-Indian Ocean-Africa-Mediterranean Sea blue economic passage, will run westward via the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean, and link with the China-Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor, and connect with the China-Pakistan, and Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar economic corridors.

The China-Oceania-South Pacific passage will run southward via the South China Sea into the Pacific Ocean, while another economic passage is also envisioned linking Europe via the Arctic Ocean.

The document called on countries along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road to focus on "sharing blue space and developing the blue economy," which will target issues such as marine environment protection, marine interconnectivity, maritime security and common oceanic governance. It said China will adhere to the Silk Road Spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefits, shelving differences and building consensus, which was an outcome of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in May. China also promised to abide by market rules and international norms, giving play to the primary role of enterprises. The document stressed joint development and benefits sharing among participating countries. "We will plan together, develop together and share the fruits of cooperation," it said.

(Comment: The inclusion of an economic passage linking Europe via the Arctic Ocean is interesting.  Till recently Beijing had been reluctant to include the Arctic, and specifically the Northern Sea Route, as part of its Belt and Road framework. Instead, China opted to stress the opportunities for joint scientific partnerships with Arctic actors. Of late though there has been less reluctance to downplay the economic opportunities of the Arctic for China, including via recent commentaries about a 'One Belt, One Road, One Circle' approach. It could be that China is trying to burnish its credentials as a 'near-Arctic state' to ensure it gets seats at tables yet-to-be-built. Also, China's Arctic white paper has been in the works in Beijing for more than two years now and some of these points can figure in it as and when it is released.)








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