A Chinese cargo ship is
making history as it forges its maiden voyage to Europe through the Arctic,
marking a new “short cut” Beijing hopes can spur trade with the West.
A Chinese ship is set
to make the first voyage through the once impassable Northeast Passage
shortening the trip from China by about two weeks Photo: REX
By Emma Rowley
The 19,000-tonne
freighter belonging to shipping giant Cosco has set off from China, the world’s
largest exporter, on a path that will take it through the Northeast Passage, a
once-impassable route that is now navigable after sea ice melted in recent
years.
The vessel is the
first Chinese merchant ship to make the journey to Europe by this route,
according to state media. Travelling this way should reduce the journey by
7,000km, thereby cutting shipping times from China to Europe by 12 to 15 days.
The freighter is
expected to take 33 days to reach Europe, arriving in Rotterdam on September 11 after it left the northeastern Chinese port of
Dalian on Thursday. The new route, also known as the Northern Sea Route, will take
the ship by Russia’s northern coastline and allow it to avoid the busy Suez
Canal.
The passage “will
change the market pattern of the global shipping industry because it will
shorten the maritime distance significantly among the Chinese, European and
North American markets,” Qi Shaobin, a professor at Dalian Maritime University,
told China Daily.
However, despite the
ice receding, the route still remains navigable for only around four months of
the year, in the Arctic summer.
No comments:
Post a Comment