Abstract:

In recent years, melting of the Arctic ice cap has made navigation through the Arctic possible. As the Bering Strait is the most important outlet and inlet of the Arctic route, its strategic position has gradually become clear and attracted the interest of many countries. To discuss the governance and cooperation in the Bering Strait, this paper first analyzes the legal nature of the Bering Strait and concludes that it is used for international navigation. Then, the current U.S. and Russia’s regulations regarding the Bering Strait from their position as the littoral state are investigated. Meanwhile, experience gained from the Malacca Strait is also learned. The paper finally envisions future governance of the Bering Strait by the littoral and user state, in which China may contribute and play an important role.

Key words: Bering Strait, littoral states, user states, governance, cooperation