“Today, there are some competing claims, but…it’s an orderly process and no one is building islands, drilling in someone else’s potential EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone), or harassing each other’s vessels,” said Bryan Clark, a retired Navy strategist now with the Center for Strategic & Budgetary Assessments. “Unlike the South China Sea, the Arctic will not be a transit area for 30-40 percent of world trade; will not be adjacent to the homes of more than one billion people; and not subject to multiple overlapping and unresolvable claims.”…
“Even as the Arctic becomes more accessible, it will not carry the amount of trade the South China Sea does for several decades, if ever,” Clark said. “High winds, rough seas, shallow water, and 9-10 months of ice coverage will not make it an attractive route for large shipping vessels.”