3.8

• Why is the Arctic region a source of tension over resources?

  Thawing ice (due to climate change) makes oil, gas, and new transport routes accessible; multiple countries claim ownership of these resources.
• How have countries responded to Arctic tensions?

  Canada has held military exercises; Norway expanded its navy; Denmark formed a military command; Russia claimed the North Pole (2007) and resumed bomber patrols.
• What legal claim did Denmark make in 2014 regarding the Arctic?

  Denmark used UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea) to claim part of the Arctic.
• Beyond the Arctic, what other resource-based disputes exist?

  UK landowners don’t always own minerals beneath their land; Iraq’s oil is disputed between Sunni, Shia, and Kurdish groups
• Why are counterfeit goods a source of international tension?

  They violate Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), harming TNC investment and global trade relations
• What agreement protects IPR under WTO rules?

  TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) – it ensures copyright and patent protection globally.
• How does counterfeiting undermine the TRIPS system?

  It allows illegal copies of branded goods and tech, discouraging innovation and harming legal TNCs.
• Where are there territorial tensions in Eastern Europe?

  Russia’s influence in countries like Poland and former USSR states is causing tension; the EU may expand its influence in the region.
• What has Russia done since 2014 to reassert itself?

  It annexed Crimea, supported separatists in eastern Ukraine, and conducted Arctic military exercises.
• How has China’s global influence changed since 2010?

  It’s shifted from economic to more assertive political/military influence, particularly in Asia.
• What territorial disputes is China involved in?

  Claims over Tibet, Taiwan, and South China Sea—building military bases in the Spratly Islands to strengthen its control.
• Why does China's South China Sea strategy cause tension?

  Its Exclusive Economic Zone claims overlap with those of neighbouring countries, worrying regional rivals and the USA.