China and Russia are trying to turn the Arctic into their new shortcut to Europe.
A Chinese container ship left China’s east coast on August 15 and is now taking Russia’s Northern Sea Route to Europe. The trip should take around 20 days.
That route is a pretty big deal for China. It skips Malacca, Bab el-Mandeb, the Red Sea and Suez, basically a bunch of places where Chinese trade can get squeezed or disrupted.
It’s still early, with only around eight trips planned this season, but China and Russia are already working on making the route usable year-round.
Russia is moving oil through there too. Around 6 million barrels have already headed toward Asia through the Arctic this season, mostly to China.
And all of this runs past the Bering Strait, with Russia on one side and Alaska on the other.
So yeah, the U.S. is watching. China and Russia are getting more comfortable up there, and Washington clearly doesn’t want to wake up one day and find them running the Arctic.
Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
canisgallicus 