Highlights
- China and EU are racing to secure critical minerals in the Arctic, viewing the region as a strategic resource hub for future energy and industrial needs.
- Both powers are pursuing different strategies to gain mineral access:
- EU through direct partnerships
- China through soft diplomacy and indirect investments
- The Arctic mineral competition risks environmental exploitation and raises complex diplomatic challenges involving indigenous rights and ecosystem preservation.
A newly published essay (opens in a new tab) in The International Journal of Critical Raw Materials and Geopolitics by researchers at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute (opens in a new tab) underscores the growing strategic collision between China and the European Union over critical mineral access in the Arctic. Authored by Andreas Raspotnik, Erdem Lamazhapov, Iselin Stensdal, and Gørild Heggelund, the paper dissects how both powers are converging on the Arctic not merely for climate science or regional diplomacy—but to secure control over raw materials vital to the energy transition.
Study Design and Hypothesis
The authors conduct a comparative policy and strategy analysis of EU and Chinese Arctic engagement, relying on open-source government documents, trade and investment records, and multilateral mining agreements. Their hypothesis: the Arctic is no longer a geopolitical backwater but a key front in the race to secure the rare earths, lithium, cobalt, and other critical inputs essential to battery, wind, and defense supply chains.
Key Findings
The study reveals that while the EU frames its Arctic involvement as environmentally responsible and sovereignty-respecting, it is actively investing in upstream raw material partnerships—particularly in Greenland and northern Fennoscandia. Brussels’ recent opening of an EU office in Nuuk and mining agreements with Greenland are part of a broader push to decouple from China’s mineral dominance.
China, by contrast, continues to assert itself as a “near-Arctic power,” leveraging ambiguous dual-use infrastructure projects, strategic port partnerships, and soft diplomacy to lay the groundwork for long-term resource access. Although Chinese investments have been rolled back in parts of the Nordic Arctic—particularly in Greenland—the report cautions that Beijing is far from retreating. Instead, China is adapting its strategy, favoring indirect investments, exploration rights in Russia, and possible seabed mining ambitions.
Implications
The authors argue that both China and the EU view Arctic minerals as linchpins for industrial sovereignty and supply chain resilience, particularly amid decoupling trends and climate policy mandates. However, they warn that this scramble risks accelerating extractivist exploitation in one of the planet’s most fragile ecosystems. Furthermore, the Arctic’s mineral promise may outpace its logistical and political readiness, especially as Indigenous and environmental resistance grows.
Limitations
While the study is methodologically rigorous, it is largely descriptive and lacks hard economic forecasting or mineral yield projections. The paper also assumes the permanence of EU unity on Arctic policy—an assumption that may not hold as domestic political shifts roil Europe. The recent talk of American forays into the region are not emphasized.
Conclusion
As the global race for critical raw materials intensifies, the Arctic has emerged as a high-stakes geopolitical theater. This essay is a critical wake-up call to investors, policymakers, and industry actors: sustainable access to Arctic critical minerals will require not just capital and strategy—but careful diplomacy, indigenous engagement, and environmental accountability. The EU’s clean energy future and China’s industrial security may depend on what happens next above the 66th parallel.
SOURCE:
Raspotnik A., Lamazhapov E., Stensdal I., Heggelund G. “Critical Raw Materials: Interests of China and the European Union in the Arctic.” International Journal of Critical Raw Materials and Geopolitics, Taylor & Francis, March 2025. DOI: 10.1080/09700161.2025.2459573 (opens in a new tab)
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