Abstract
This article shows the very preliminary development of two infrastructure projects in Finland that have the potential to be part of the Polar Silk Road of the future: the Arctic Railway and the Helsinki–Tallinn tunnel. In Finland, domestic discussion about these two projects and preparations for them became more active in 2018 than in any previous year. As the process is still embryonic, it is hard to be precise about the real Chinese involvement beyond our tentative knowledge of the potential arrival of Chinese capitals, technology, and expertise in the tunnel project. One of the prime players in making this happen is the Finnish entrepreneur Peter Vesterbacka, who is known internationally as the founder of the Angry Bird video game company.
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The Finnish authorities have not held any discussion with Vesterbacka regarding his plan for the Arctic Railway and is not aware of his plan (Lindström 2018).
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Websites
Arctic Corridor. (2018). http://arcticcorridor.fi/.
FinEst Bay Area Development. https://finestbayarea.online.
FinEst Link Project. http://www.finestlink.fi/en/.
Silk Road Briefing. https://www.silkroadbriefing.com/.
Face to Face Interviews, Phone Interviews, and Email Correspondences with Key Stakeholders
K. Valtonen, & Vesterbacka, P. Founders of FinEst Bay Area Project, Interviewed by Yu-Wen Chen, October 29, 2018.
T. Lohi, Spokesman of Arctic Corridor, Interviewed by Yu-Wen Chen, October 30, 2018.
S. Lindström, Chair for Task Force Study for Arctic Railway, Interviewed by Yu-Wen Chen, November 9, 2018.
T. Vauraste, Chair of Arctic Economic Council & President and CEO of Arctia (Finnish state-own company operating the Finnish icebreaker fleet), Interviewed by Yu-Wen Chen, November 12, 2018.
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Chen, J.YW. (2020). The Making of the Finnish Polar Silk Road: Status in Spring 2019. In: Chan, H.K., Chan, F.K.S., O'Brien, D. (eds) International Flows in the Belt and Road Initiative Context. Palgrave Series in Asia and Pacific Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-3133-0_9
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