China-Nordic Arctic Research Centre set up in Shanghai

The China-Nordic Arctic Research Center was set up on Tuesday in Shanghai. Ten research institutions from China, Iceland, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden signed an agreement to boost mutual cooperation in Arctic research, according to the center. The center is an expansion of a previous cooperation mechanism between China and Iceland. The joint platform of China and the five Nordic countries will help boost studies and understanding of global and regional issues relating to the Arctic Pole, targeting its sustainable development, said Yang Huigen, director of the Polar Research Institute of China. The center will also focus on international cooperation on climate change, resources, shipping, economic cooperation, as well as policy and legislative issues in the Arctic. Yang said that global warming has accelerated ice melting in the Arctic region, opening opportunities to develop its abundant resources and open new navigation routes. The center will organize research on chosen topics, host seminars, offer scholarship and allowance to researchers and promote exchanges and information sharing between China and Nordic countries, Yang added.