Hema Nadarajah​, ​Program Manager for Southeast Asia at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada​, ​explains that states seeking to deepen their engagement in the Arctic, such as Singapore, may find themselves trying to balance tensions, especially in the wake of Sino-Russian cooperation in the region and US-China strategic competition. The Arctic region has emerged as a focal point of global attention, not only for its vast untapped resources but also for its strategic significance. Russia, the largest Arctic state, and China, an Arctic Council observer, which has proclaimed itself to be a “near-Arctic state”, have been deepening their collaboration in the region—much to the scrutiny of other Arctic states such as the United States. The US-China rivalry—an aspect of shifting global geopolitical dynamics—adds to the growing complexities in the Arctic. The views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent those of the East-West Center.