China develops its first icebreaker

China is designing its own icebreaker for the first time as it rapidly ups its interest in the Arctic, SinoShip News reports.

Detail design of China's second icebreaker will be conducted by China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), said the Polar Research Institute of China.

"This marks a giant step toward the goal of building a completely domestic icebreaker," said Chen Lianzeng, deputy director of the State Oceanic Administration (SOA).

The basic design of the icebreaker, China's second after the Ukraine-imported Xue Long, was made by the Finland-based Aker Arctic Technology.