Database on Arctic Doctoral and Post-doctoral Projects on Law

The dissertation investigated China’s participation in Arctic affairs and its effects on the development of Arctic governance. It finds that many Chinese scholars and officials’ depiction of China as a “rule-follower” in the Arctic fails to take full account of the evolving nature of Arctic law and governance. The disseration argues that, depending on the different issues involved, China can participate in Arctic development simultaneously as a regulation-follower, a constructive challenger, and an international learner.

To illustrate the argument, it concentrates on three key policy areas in which China can play different roles:

 (1) the application of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to the Arctic Ocean (a “regulation-follower”),
(2) the role of the Arctic Council in Arctic governance (a “constructive challenger”), and
(3) the rights and role of Arctic indigenous peoples in Arctic development (an “international learner”).