According to a report by the Russian newspaper on August 26, Boris Titov, the Russian chairman of the Russia-China Friendship, Peace and Development Committee and the special representative of the Russian president responsible for liaising with relevant international organizations regarding achieving sustainable development goals, revealed that Roscosmos, Russia's largest state-owned shipbuilding company, is discussing matters related to building ships at Chinese shipyards. The role of China in the cooperation on the Northern Sea Route between the two countries is likely to be further strengthened.
According to a report by Russian Satellite News earlier, in mid-August, Turov, the deputy general manager of the Russian Union Shipbuilding Group, revealed to reporters that the group is considering the possibility of jointly building large-tonnage ships with friendly countries such as China using a distributed construction model.
"We are considering the possibility of jointly building ships with Chinese and other foreign partners," he said during a Northern Polar Forum, "China is a leading force in shipbuilding, and we are currently in talks with the Chinese side."
It is reported that the Russian government has authorized the Russian State Atomic Corporation to manage the entire Northern Sea Route. The route is divided into 28 sections, and ship navigation requires approval from the Russian authorities, who can provide support with icebreakers. In early August, the Russian State Atomic Corporation announced that it had completed the approval process for vessel traffic in the 2026 season. Data shows that in 2024, only 15 container ships crossed the Northern Sea Route, while in 2025, the number of ships navigating through the route increased to 23, reaching a record high.
According to estimates, by 2030, the cargo volume on the Northern Route is expected to increase by 1 to 2 times, reaching 70 million to 109 million tons. According to calculations by the Russian Joint Shipbuilding Group, by 2030, a total of 62 ships will be needed for operating on the Northern Route, including icebreakers, research vessels, and ice-class cargo ships.
He mentioned that since early 2026, bilateral trade between China and Russia has increased by more than a quarter compared to the same period last year, reaching nearly $19 billion. He further stated, "I believe it is entirely realistic to further increase trade volumes and achieve the goal of reaching $300 billion annually. Currently, a new focus of cooperation is emerging—the Trans-Arctic transport corridor, which China refers to as the ‘Ice Silk Road’."
Russian media reported that the international transit capacity of the Northern Sea Route is being tested. Chinese shipping company Haijie Shipping launched its first regular container shipping route through the Arctic in August. This weekly route connects Ningbo Port in China with Felixstowe Port in the UK, with ships navigating along the northern coast of Russia. The Arctic route is expected to reduce the journey time by nearly half compared to traditional routes, which take 40 days.
