Why seek a pie of a cake, when one has the option of getting one extra big cake for oneself? A good deal, if not most, of the ongoing rush into the Arctic for the precious minerals and other resources (which can be expected to produce some frictions between numerous governments which one would rather avoid...) would become superfluous, if Russia, China and India would cooperate with the USA in finally building the long-discussed Bering Strait Tunnel, which would establish a several-track rail link between America and Siberia/Asia, plus pipelines across the Bering Strait and make the easy transfer of goods from the then jointly-explored and developed Arctic possible. I just want to call people's attention to a really interesting conference of the Schiller Institute in Berlin, Germany, on September 25, where some fascinating presentations on the aforesaid perspective were given by US and Russian experts. For more information on that, without myself going into further detail: see report on the conference, at www.schillerinstitute.org.

China seeks piece of Arctic pie after China has at the half of Siberia from Russia . Don't be worry that will be in 10 years ! You will see ! Greatitngs

China is becoming more powerful with each passing day and will not cede an meter of the Arctic (or Siberia) to Russia without a serious struggle. I suspect that the next future conflict on a massive scale, that would threaten the entire world, will be between Russia and China, with USA on the sideline sureptitiously aiding China.

Russia is aware that its North and East needs development. It is doing so, but it seems to me too slowly. The news about Chinese ice-breakers is news to me.