In September 2025, a Chinese container vessel embarked on a pioneering voyage from Ningbo to Felixstowe via the Northern Sea Route (NSR). The journey highlighted Beijing's growing interest in Arctic shipping development. Simultaneously, China also received its sixth liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipment from Russia's sanctioned Arctic LNG-2 project. These two events, taken together, underscore the growing convergence between China's economic ambitions and Russia's Arctic strategy.