Dilemma analysis and countermeasure research on Arctic marine spatial planning -- Based on the synergy theory perspective

The escalating conflict between human activities and ecological preservation has necessitated developing enhanced standards for the sustainable development of the Arctic maritime region, highlighting the critical need for marine spatial planning in this region. This study examines the challenges of Arctic marine spatial planning and its optimization strategies through the lens of synergy theory, focusing on three dimensions: a synergistic environment, synergistic subjects, and synergy content. The prevailing challenges of Arctic marine spatial planning include the current inadequacy of the synergistic environment, the prominence of contradictions among synergistic subjects, and the necessity for the enhancement of the synergistic content. In Arctic marine spatial planning, it is essential to enhance the support for synergistic environments, establish a network of synergistic entities, and raise the quality of synergistic material. It is proposed that China, as a significant Arctic stakeholder, should cultivate a novel cooperative relationship with both regional and non-regional countries to address the trust deficit; advance polar marine science and technology innovation to facilitate Arctic development; enhance its marine spatial planning to offer insights for the Arctic; and intensify its Arctic involvement through the Silk Road on Ice initiative.