--- description: China has declared that it plans to ship cargo through the Northwest Passage, a series of waterways over which Canada claims sovereignty. title: China Could Be Preparing to Challenge Canada's Sovereignty image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc9d482d0e9ce6fcf/698890300a4a22129e9c95c1/gettyimages-144098442.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # China Could Be Preparing to Challenge Canada's Sovereignty Over the Northwest Passage ## Video: China Cuts Growth Target [Watch (HLS stream): China Cuts Growth Target](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/uSvOtqea.m3u8) (0:50)  _Published 2016-03-05. China’s Premier Li Keqiang announced the country is cutting its expected growth rate._ by [Nash Jenkins](/author/p-nash-jenkins/) ## Nash Jenkins Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 21, 2016 9:05 AM CUT  Sea Ice, Northwest Passage, Nunavut, Arctic Canada. Sea Ice, Northwest Passage, Nunavut, Arctic Canada.Education Images—UIG via Getty Images by [Nash Jenkins](/author/p-nash-jenkins/) ## Nash Jenkins Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 21, 2016 9:05 AM CUT China has [declared](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/china-reveals-plans-to-ship-cargo-across-canadas-northwest-passage/article29691054/ "undefined") that it plans to ship cargo through the Northwest Passage, a series of waterways in the Arctic Circle over which Canada claims sovereignty. Chinese maritime authorities tacitly declared the news by printing a lengthy guide to Arctic shipping and navigation; a state spokesperson then confirmed it to reporters on Tuesday, the _Globe and Mail_ reports. “There will be ships with Chinese flags sailing through this route in the future,” spokesperson Liu Pengfei said. Chinese state media has called the proposed shipping route a “golden waterway” for future trade as it would drastically cut travel times between China and North America. But move could pose “the biggest direct challenge to Canadian sovereignty in the Northwest Passage,” University of Calgary professor Rob Huebert told the _Globe and Mail_. Though Canada claims sovereignty over the waterways, the U.S. believes the passage to be international waters. China has developed a reputation for its[ territorial](http://time.com/4297229/south-china-sea-military-aircraft-landing-fiery-cross/ "undefined") assertiveness over matters of trade, particularly in the South China Sea, where it has constructed artificial [islands](http://time.com/4244301/china-philippines-jackson-atoll-south-china-sea/ "undefined") in waters claimed by neighboring countries. \[[The _Globe and Mail_](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/china-reveals-plans-to-ship-cargo-across-canadas-northwest-passage/article29691054/ "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4302882/china-arctic-shipping-northwest-passage/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4302882/china-arctic-shipping-northwest-passage/"},"headline":"China Could Be Preparing to Challenge Canada's Sovereignty Over the Northwest Passage","datePublished":"2016-04-21T09:05:56.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T16:55:28.582Z","description":"Beijing has declared that it plans to ship cargo through the arctic waterway","url":"https://time.com/4302882/china-arctic-shipping-northwest-passage/","keywords":["China","Canada","South China Sea","trade","Shipping"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc9d482d0e9ce6fcf/698890300a4a22129e9c95c1/gettyimages-144098442.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Nash Jenkins","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/p-nash-jenkins/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc9d482d0e9ce6fcf/698890300a4a22129e9c95c1/gettyimages-144098442.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Sea Ice, Northwest Passage, Nunavut, Arctic Canada.","caption":"Sea Ice, Northwest Passage, Nunavut, Arctic Canada.","creditText":"Education Images—UIG via Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4302882/china-arctic-shipping-northwest-passage/","name":"China Could Be Preparing to Challenge Canada's Sovereignty Over the Northwest Passage"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"China Cuts Growth Target","description":"China’s Premier Li Keqiang announced the country is cutting its expected growth rate.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/uSvOtqea/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-03-05T17:03:42.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/uSvOtqea.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4302882/china-arctic-shipping-northwest-passage/","duration":"PT50S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4302882/china-arctic-shipping-northwest-passage/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```