As US President Donald Trump reiterates his desire to acquire Greenland – part of a broader push to assert influence in the Arctic – Chinese scholars are debating whether the world’s second-largest economy should become more involved in the region, particularly by developing shipping routes.

The Northern Sea Route (NSR) – the shortest passage between the Asia-Pacific region and western Eurasia – has drawn growing attention as global warming makes its icy waters navigable for longer periods each year.

Trump, who has pledged to buy or annex Greenland, views the Arctic as vital to advancingUS commercial and strategic interests – from securing natural resources to countering Chinese and Russian influence.

His ambition, outlined in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law on July 4, allocates nearly US$9 billion for icebreakers – a “historic investment in US Arctic security” aimed at putting “America back in charge of the frozen frontier”, according to the White House.

As Washington increases its focus on the region, China – a “Near-Arctic State” and observer of the Arctic Council – must seize new shipping opportunities, according to Zhang Cheng and Su Anqi, scholars at Wuhan University.

“Arctic shipping routes offer advantages in terms of cost and efficiency over traditional routes, making them a potential new pathway to counter US geopolitical containment,” they wrote in the June issue of China Review.