At first, it was the Mediterranean, off Greece and Spain, and the Channel and North Sea near England and Scotland.

ECONOMIST: Business travel

For example, Murmansk to China's Ningbo port near Shanghai is 13, 000 km via the NSR, compared with 22, 000 km via the Mediterranean Sea, Suez Canal, Indian Ocean and Strait of Malacca.

CNN: China eyes Arctic options in energy, transport