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China’s Polar Silk Road takes shape, putting Singapore’s maritime future in focus

The opening up of Arctic routes and shortening of Asia-Europe voyages could have implications for established shipping hubs, including the city-state

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Tay Peck Gek

Tay Peck Gek

Published Fri, Dec 26, 2025 · 02:00 PM
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    • The sea transport industry is a key pillar of Singapore’s economy, with the maritime sector contributing about 7% of GDP and employing about 170,000 people.
    • The sea transport industry is a key pillar of Singapore’s economy, with the maritime sector contributing about 7% of GDP and employing about 170,000 people. ILLUSTRATION: ADOBE STOCK

    [SINGAPORE] Chinese carrier Sea Legend Line made maritime history in October, becoming the first to offer a liner-type shipping service with multiple stops from Asia to Europe through the Arctic.

    The voyage through the Northern Sea Route (NSR) in the Arctic by the fully loaded container ship Istanbul Bridge took only 20 days from Ningbo-Zhoushan in China to Felixstowe in the United Kingdom, with subsequent port calls at Hamburg in Germany, Gdansk in Poland and Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

    Sea Legend Line named the service the China-Europe Arctic Express. It reportedly plans to establish regular summer voyages along the Arctic route by 2026.

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