Chinese Arctic cargo ship sails from Arctic Circle to France

Chinese cargo ship Tian'en has left the Arctic Circle near Norway and is making its way south to the port of Rouen in France. 

Tian'en is scheduled to follow the "Polar Silk Road" to reach its first destination in Europe on Wednesday. 

The ship will deliver China's wind power equipment to France, the Netherlands and Sweden. 

The Tian'en cargo ship at the port of Lianyungang in east China's Jiangsu Province on August 4. [Photo: Xinhua]

Tian'en departed from Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province on August 4 and embarked on its maiden voyage through the Arctic's Northeastern Passage, a waterway known as the "Polar Silk Road" which links Asia with Europe through the Western Pacific Ocean, the Bering Strait and the Arctic Ocean. 

China issued a whitepaper on its Arctic policies in January and pledged to further cooperate with other countries to jointly build the "Polar Silk Road" under the Belt and Road Initiative. 

The plan has been endorsed by government officials and scholars from Arctic countries such as Russia, Finland, Norway and Canada. 

A map showing the route of Tain'en beginning in China through the Arctic to Europe. [Screenshot: CCTV.com]