China and Russia may consider an Irtysh cargo route to the Arctic
China and Russia, an aggressor state, may be considering the possibility of turning the Irtysh River into an inland cargo route that would connect China with the Arctic. This was reported by the South China Morning Post.
Route through Kazakhstan and Russia
The Irtysh is 4,248 kilometres long. The river originates in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in western China and flows through Kazakhstan. The Irtysh then flows into the Ob River in Russia. The Ob carries its waters to the Arctic Ocean.
Such a river-sea route could potentially provide China with a connection to the Arctic and become an inland cargo route to other parts of the world.
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Obstacles to the project
According to the publication, China and Russia are exploring this possibility amid conflicts in various regions of the world that have demonstrated the vulnerability of global shipping routes. At the same time, the proposed route along the Irtysh would require overcoming political and natural barriers.
The South China Morning Post describes this direction as a potential route, rather than a transport corridor that has already been created or launched.
