Abstract:Global warming is rapidly melting the cryosphere, triggering a scramble for control of resources and shipping lanes in the cryosphere, especially in the Arctic, and the world is entering the age of cryopolitics driven by climate change. Based on the analyses on the background of cryopolitics formation, this article discusses the connotation and characteristics of cryopolitics, and analyzes the geopolitical competition in the Arctic in the past 20 years from the perspective of realism, including the competition between the Arctic nations for the delimitation of the extended continental shelf of 200 nautical miles, and military competition for Arctic resources and navigation channel control among these nations, especially between Russia and the United States. Finally, some suggestions for China's participation in the international governance of the cryosphere are put forward.