In 2023, Chinese companies launched a "Polar Strike". Hajj Shipyard officially announced the northeastern Arctic route, shortening the route from 40 days to 18 days., saving not only time, but also real money. But before the Chinese finished celebrating, the Singaporean media jumped out and poured cold water on it.

A commentary in the United Morning Post directly questioned that the route was "unsafe, environmentally friendly, and without commercial value". at one time, the tropical island countries in the south and the Arctic ice and snow were intertwined due to a shipping line.

So the question is, is Singapore anxious about the ice in the Arctic or the water in Malacca? The logic behind this starts with data, geography, and the pattern of global shipping.

Is safety reliable? Who has the final say in environmental protection?

Let's look at the "safety" section first. The Singapore media said that the Arctic is dangerous, which sounds a bit like the first reaction of "looking cold", but the truth is not so hasty. Russian officials have given solid data: in 2023, 178 merchant ships passed through the Arctic Northeast Passage, but only one minor failure occurred, and the accident rate was less than 1%. Looking back at the Strait of Malacca, there are hundreds of accidents every year. This is what Lloyd's Daily said. If it's unsafe, it's really hard to say who is more dangerous.

Moreover, China is now not the ¡°shore white¡± that had just begun. the ice breaker ¡°Sherong 2¡± is escorting all the way, Beidou navigation system is accurate to the sea, and the Russian coast has all-weather ice warning. This whole set of combined kick, in exchange for the car is ¡°all-automated driving + all-weather warning + real-time broadcast¡±.

What about the environment? This is the focus. Some say opening the Arctic route will accelerate the melting of the ice, the problem is ¨C the ice has become so, and the ship has just begun to go. NASA data has long pointed out that the Arctic sea ice has decreased by half in the last 40 years, and the navigation path was there, not made by man. China uses low-sulfur fuel or even liquefied natural gas-powered ships, such as the "Tianyou Ship", which has been named and praised. Compared with the black smoke emitted by some older ships, these new fleets are much more environmentally friendly.

The International Maritime Organization has long been no vegetarian. It has specially formulated the "Polar Navigation Rules" to standardize the management of "special waters" such as the Arctic. To put it bluntly, countries are not running around, but following the rules. "Xinhua Agency" simply concluded in one sentence: This is the realistic version of the "Silk Road on Ice."

Economics speaks the most.

After the data, let¡¯s take our eyes from the Arctic to the equator. Singapore, the small country that rely on Malacca to eat, why is it so sensitive to the Arctic movement?

The Strait of Malacca is one of the busiest shipping channels in the world, and a quarter of global maritime trade passes through it. Singapore is like the owner sitting at the intersection and opening a convenience store. The more boats, the better the business. In 2023, the Port of Singapore handled 376 million tons of cargo, of which China-EU trade alone accounted for more than 30%.Once this freight lifeline is divided by the Arctic, the impact is not small.

Take data as an example, if 15% of China-Europe goods are diverted to the Arctic route, Singapore's oil refining industry may earn less than $6 billion a year. Rystad Energy Company calculated an account, which is equivalent to taking out a lot of money directly from Singapore's pocket.

And the refinery industry is not isolated, it hangs behind a series of industrial chains ¨C semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, high-end manufacturing, all backed by efficient transportation. Intel recently announced the expansion of the plant in Vietnam, one reason is ¡°nearer to the supply chain nodes¡±, Singapore heard estimates rather than taste.

Singapore is facing a "Dutch disease"-style challenge. What does that mean? It is too dependent on a certain advantage, such as Malacca's geographical location. Once this advantage is replaced, the entire country's economy will tremble.

The Arctic route does not rely on emotion to feed, it is supported by market demand. China is the EU's largest source of commodity imports, accounting for 22% in 2023. In other words, the European market is inseparable from China goods, and the Arctic route can cut transportation costs by 40%. Do you think European companies are willing to choose this fast lane?

More importantly, 90% of the waters of this new route are within Russia's exclusive economic zone. As early as 2017, China and Russia signed the "Ice Silk Road" agreement to ensure the guarantee of route operation. This is like locking the right of way of the highway in advance. If others want to use it, they have to ask China and Russia if they agree or not.

Japanese and Korean enterprises are not uninterested, but because of geopolitical issues, close to the Russian route they can not use. This makes China the "exclusive agent" of this route. and Singapore? eye watching a ship around Malacca, but can not put hands, it feels like watching people open high-speed railways, and they are still rebuilding the road.

Singapore has also tried to find a different path and promote "ASEAN multimodal transport" to maintain its hub status. However, the reality is that infrastructure cannot keep up, the integration of railways, highways and waterways is progressing slowly, and regional coordination is difficult, and the results are not as good as expected. Lianhe Zaobao itself admitted that at present, this alternative route is not yet competitive on scale.

The Arctic route is a microcosm of "global trade multipolarity". Originally, everyone was circling around a few traditional ports, but now they are diverting in different directions. This trend is a challenge for traditional shipping centers, but it is an opportunity for emerging routes.

The new channel came out, not only the fleet, but also the right to speak.

This controversy over the Arctic route, which appears to be an environmental and security controversy, is in fact a rediscovery of the global trade pattern.China is telling the world with practical actions: Whoever controls demand can participate in the formulation of rules.

From energy transportation to digital infrastructure, the "Silk Road on Ice" not only moves ships quickly, but also adds new exports to China's "land-sea linkage" strategy. For example, Yamal liquefied natural gas is a typical example. China and Russia have joined forces to deliver Arctic energy to the doorstep of Europe. The future Arctic optical fiber cable project may allow digital information to board this "Polar Express".

The pathway is shaped by nature and more opened by innovators. The ice in the Arctic is not changed by anyone who calls it, but whoever can take the lead in adapting to changes will be able to gain a firm foothold in the next round of global competition.Singapore's anxiety, not without reason, but the light of screaming "danger", can't keep the boat and can't stop the trend.

The ice in the Arctic is changing, and the pattern of the world is changing. What Singapore is worried about is not whether this route will work, but whether its own position on the future shipping chessboard can still be "worked". It is better to criticize others than to strengthen yourself. Real winners never rely on emotional voices, but on strength.

The opening of the Arctic Passage is an "ice-breaking" for global shipping and a "circle-breaking" for China's right to speak. The next stop is to take the road, but to fight for the pattern.

Source: Start of the Central European Arctic route, Singapore loses its status as a shipping hub ¡ª financial headline October 7, 2025 17:20