China Interested in Russian Icebreaker Technology

Alexey Rakhmanov, the head of Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation, said that there is 'a great desire' to start technological cooperation in the area of building and operating icebreaker ships between Russia and China.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — China has shown an interest in acquiring Russian technology for building and operating icebreaker ships, the head of Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation said Friday.

"We have [received] no specific orders from [our] Chinese partners, but there is a great desire to start technological cooperation in this area," Alexey Rakhmanov said said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

The Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration was established in 1981. It has carried out six Arctic and 31 Antarctic expeditions.

In 2014, Russia’s Baltic shipyard, owned by United Shipbuilding Corporation, signed a $1.68 billion contract to build two Project 22220 nuclear-powered icebreakers with the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom.

The first series nuclear-powered icebreaker was laid down in May.

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Dmitry Rogozin announced in June that the layout of Russia's Leader-class nuclear-powered icebreaker would be presented by the end of 2015.