nc – ! – obor [insert mod from the other section of this impact turn file] 1nc – ! – sci dip

1nc – ! – obor

[insert mod from the other section of this impact turn file]

1nc – ! – sci dip

Science diplomacy solves war --- opens up communicative backchannels --- the Arctic is key

This brief case study, building on the third generation of IR theories on expertise (Bueger 2014), suggests a new perspective on science diplomacy. Exploring Science China in the Arctic illuminates the relationship of forms of trust and science diplomacy. Focusing on the ways in which science diplomacy enhances trust offers a concrete empirical con-text to understand how procedural forms of trust are translated into long-term generalized trust (Beitelman 2017). While the case of China’s science diplomacy in the Arctic refers to very peculiar political and geographical setting, the results indicate general research directions. We assume that, with the necessary caution, the four mechanisms of trust building could be applied to other regions or multilateral diplomatic contexts marked by growing global challenges and suspicions. The implied potential of science diplomacy indicate options for rising powers, such as China, to integrate into regional politics while mitigating threat perceptions. The case suggests that science diplomacy can play a role in ameliorating uncertainty and suspicions among states structurally caused by environmental changes and/or power shifts by establishing alternative communications channels. Considering President Xi Jinping’s pledge to ‘take the lead in undertaking major international scientific pro-grams and projects’, we hypothesize that it is likely that more Chinese involvement in international research net-works will result in rising levels of generalized mutual trust internationally.