China Launches 18-Day Arctic Shipping Route to Europe Amid Global Trade Turmoil
By Zou Xiaotong and Denise Jia
A Chinese cargo vessel carrying about $200 million worth of solar panels, battery systems and e-commerce goods has set sail for Britain on a new Arctic route, underscoring Beijing’s bid to diversify global trade lanes amid geopolitical tensions and shipping disruptions.
The ship, the Istanbul Bridge, departed from Ningbo-Zhoushan Port Tuesday morning, bound for Felixstowe, the U.K.’s largest container port. The vessel, with a capacity of nearly 4,900 containers, is expected to complete the journey in just 18 days via the Northeast Passage through the Arctic Ocean.
The launch of the so-called “China-Europe Arctic Express,” the first Arctic container route linking China and Europe, comes at a time when traditional shipping routes are increasingly strained. Wars, blockades, and geopolitical disputes have disrupted rail lines across Eastern Europe and driven carriers to reroute around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, stretching transit times to 40 or even 50 days.
Chinese officials have long promoted Arctic navigation as a new pillar of global trade. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said last week that Beijing seeks to work with Russia and other Arctic stakeholders “to promote sustainable development of the Arctic and safeguard peace and stability.”
The new route is operated by Sea Legend Line Ltd. Chief operating officer Li Xiaobin told Caixin the service was launched in response to “an increasingly complex global environment” and as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative as well as its domestic push for greener logistics.
Li said the Arctic Express offers three main advantages: speed, safety, and stability. Cargo shipped through the Suez Canal or via the Cape can take more than twice as long. Rail transport across Eurasia averages 25 days. Even compared with a 26-day “China-Europe Express” to Germany opened last year, the Arctic path is a week faster.
Beyond efficiency, the route’s cold climate makes it well suited for sensitive cargo like lithium batteries and solar products — key exports in China’s clean-energy push. Li added that piracy, congestion, and wartime disruption risks are far lower along the Arctic corridor than in other regions.
The Arctic route, also called the Northeast Passage or the Northern Sea Route, stretches about 2,700 nautical miles along Russia’s Arctic coast. It is the shortest maritime link between Asia and Europe, cutting distances by more than a third compared with the Suez Canal.
China and Russia have jointly promoted the “Polar Silk Road” since 2017. Beijing’s 2018 Arctic policy white paper described the project as part of the Belt and Road Initiative, underscoring its long-term strategic importance.
Climate change is accelerating the route’s commercial viability. Retreating sea ice has extended the Arctic navigation season to as long as five months, making scheduled services possible. Still, experts warn that unpredictable weather and limited rescue infrastructure pose lasting risks.
Shipping analysts caution that commercial viability requires more than technical feasibility. “It’s not only about whether a ship can sail the route,” one Europe-China trade observer said. “You must also consider ice-class vessels, available ports, cargo turnover efficiency, and geopolitical risks. Those factors decide whether the lane is profitable.”
China’s private shipping sector has already experimented. In 2023, NewNew Shipping Line began regular Arctic voyages between Shanghai and St. Petersburg in Russia. The company later launched an “Arctic Express 1” line to Russia’s Arkhangelsk and entered into a partnership with Moscow to build five specialized ice-class vessels.
Sea Legend Line is now joining that push. Registered in Singapore, the company secured an international liner license from China’s Ministry of Transport in 2023. During the Red Sea crisis earlier this year, Sea Legend rerouted its Mediterranean service to cover Djibouti, Jeddah, and other ports — earning protection from Chinese naval escorts in the region.
Looking ahead, Li said Sea Legend plans to invest in more ice-strengthened container ships by 2026, aiming to run weekly or biweekly summer services and eventually offer year-round voyages once its fleet expands.
Contact reporter Denise Jia (huijuanjia@caixin.com)
caixinglobal.com is the English-language online news portal of Chinese financial and business news media group Caixin. Global Neighbours is authorized to reprint this article.
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