WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Experts at a panel here Friday lauded China's contributions in scientific research of the Arctic region and said the world should welcome more involvement from China.
"They've done a good job of cooperating internationally with a variety of projects," Arctic expert John Farrell said at a discussion at the Hudson Institute focusing on developments in the Arctic region.
Farrell, executive director of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, noted that 10 Chinese academic institutions participated in The Mosaic Project, a recently launched international research effort dubbed the "biggest Arctic expedition in history."
Though China's research input on the Arctic region is modest in scale at the moment, it is "increasing very rapidly" and outpacing Arctic nations, according to Farrell.
"They want to increase their capacity," he said. "I think China sees science as an acceptable and normative way to participate in the Arctic."
Farrell said given the resources needed to conduct scientific research in the Arctic, China's contribution should be welcomed.
"There is a need for international cooperation, particularly in the North, where it is expensive, time consuming and challenging. The more partners we can get to do these activities, the better off we are," he said, adding China has a "legitimate link" to the arctic region as a near-arctic country.
Liselotte Odgaard, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, echoed the opinion in saying that China has a genuine scientific interest in the Arctic, as changes there are linked with the climate of its Himalayan mountain ranges.
"I think we should welcome to an extent China's engagement," Odgaard said.
China is currently an observer to the Arctic Council, a major intergovernmental forum that addresses Arctic related issues.
