Russia and China have approved an action plan to further develop shipping along the Northern Sea Route.
The document was agreed upon following the second meeting of the Subcommittee on Northern Sea Route Cooperation under the Russia-China Commission for Preparing Regular Meetings of Heads of Government held in China’s Harbin.
“The cooperation involves implementing modern logistics and technological solutions to increase shipping efficiency and support the development of major projects,” Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom said in a statement.
Rosatom sees a strong interest among Chinese entrepreneurs for cooperation in the Arctic, the state corporation's head told reporters.
“On October 13, 2025, the first-ever container transit from China to Europe via the Northern Sea Route arrived at the UK port of Felixstowe, having departed from Ningbo on September 23,” the corporation said in a statement.
The voyage through the Russian Arctic took just 20 days—nearly half the time of traditional southern routes.