ABSTRACT
Since it has become an Observer to the Arctic Council in May 2013, China has been more actively engaging in the work of the Council on the one hand, while on the other hand its performance and role in the Arctic Council have remained limited. The major existing problems include: 1) having no delegates at some meetings of the Council (“nonattendance” problem); 2) lacking continuity and integration of delegations (“discontinuity” problem); and 3) sending inappropriate experts to some meetings of the Council (“wrong delegates” problem). A closer inspection of China’s participation in the work of the Task Forces of the Council reveals the problems. Looking forward, the Chinese government should pay closer attention to and more actively participate in the work of the subsidiary bodies of the Council rather than symbolically attending the Ministerial and SAO meetings.
