Abstract: In the current competitive context between China and the United States of America (hereafter U.S.), the importance of Arctic-related issues for the U.S. government has markedly increased. Therefore, such issues have become a focus point for prominent U.S. think tanks. Understanding the think tanks’ perception of China’s Arctic policy and their possible suggestions to the U.S. government could allow China to understand U.S. policy toward China in the Arctic. Ten representative reports from five major U.S. think tanks were selected as a research sample; seven reports from four non-U.S. think tanks were used for a broader perspective. The research sample indicates that U.S. think tanks have conducted comprehensive discussions on the influence and purpose of China’s Arctic activities, with a focus on Sino-Russian Arctic cooperation. Our analysis shows a consensus among the U.S. think tanks that China is pursuing a long-term policy in the Arctic. The reports also emphasize that China is using economic and scientific means to expand its physical presence and strategic influence in the Arctic region. Global evaluation of China’s Arctic policy by the U.S. think tanks was negative. Furthermore, they suggested four countermeasures to the U.S. government in response to China’s Arctic policies and activities: containing China economically, strengthening the U.S. Arctic presence and intervention capacity, dividing China and Russia, and reshaping the alliance in the Arctic.

Key words: China’s Arctic policy, U.S. think tank, perception, suggestion