Chinese officials have rejected a Japanese media report that China is attempting to grab resources in the Arctic and seeking strategic military interests in the area, insisting that the aim of its Arctic research missions is to conduct regular environmental scientific investigations.

The Japanese daily Sankei Shimbun published an article on Saturday claiming that China is conducting geological exploration in the Arctic under the name of scientific investigation and attempting to seize untapped oil and gas, and mulling building a strategic base there for its "resources exploration" and even "naval vessels," the Xinhua News Agency reported.

An official with the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration, who would only give his surname Xia, denied the accusation yesterday, saying the report is based on groundless suspicion.

Xia said that as a major country in the northern hemisphere, China is greatly influenced by climate and environmental changes in the North Pole.

"As the world becomes increasingly concerned about the effects of climate change, it is fairly natural for China to embark on and step up its Arctic research missions," he told the Global Times yesterday. "China has invited scientists from other countries to join these missions, and the whole process has been open and transparent."

China's Arctic research mission started in the late 1990s - after the US, Russia, the UK, France, Canada and Japan. Only in late 1999 did China conduct its first comprehensive scientific research of part of the Arctic Ocean, according to Xinhua.