Russian diplomat says Chinese container voyages on Northern Sea Route rose to 30

A Russian Foreign Ministry official says Chinese container voyages using the Northern Sea Route have reached 30 this year, compared with seven in 2023. Dmitry Birichevsky, director of the ministry's economic cooperation department, gave the figures while discussing transport links with Asia-Pacific economies on 14 November.

Birichevsky described the Arctic route as developing into an international transit corridor and said other economies were also showing interest. The reported increase is a count of Chinese container voyages. It is not a measure of all ships, total cargo tonnage or the commercial profitability of the route.

The diplomat argued that wider use of routes across Russian territory could open additional opportunities. He linked that position to Russia's work in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, where Moscow says it wants constructive dialogue supporting regional growth and prosperity.

He also promoted the Greater Eurasian Partnership as a Russian initiative for wider continental integration. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has separately called the Northern Sea Route a strategic artery for cargo travelling between Russia and the Asia-Pacific region. Those are official policy arguments, rather than proof of uniform support from all APEC members.

The figures indicate increased reported use from a small 2023 base. They do not by themselves show that the Arctic route has displaced established shipping corridors. Assessing that would require comparable cargo volumes, seasonal operating conditions, costs and reliable long-term schedules, none of which is supplied by the voyage count alone.