Abstract: Global warming has accelerated and the speed of melting of the Arctic sea ice has increased, which means that the Arctic’s waterways will be opened much earlier than originally expected. Therefore, the transportation value of Arctic waterways has become increasingly prominent, which has prompted Circumpolar Nations to propose various policies and claims regarding Arctic waterway transit. Although China is not an Arctic state, the availability of an Arctic waterway could shorten international shipping routes, reducing the time and cost of foreign trade, and decreasing the risks of piracy and terrorism. Therefore, to maintain the potential benefits of Arctic waterways to China, attention should be given to this problem. In this paper, the origins of the problems pertaining to the Arctic waterway are introduced, the policies proposed by Russia, Canada, the United States, and the European Union regarding Arctic waterway transit are elaborated, and the trend of development of Arctic waterway transit policy is analyzed.

Key words: Circumpolar Nations, Arctic waterways, transit, policy analysis