The icebreaker Tor (right) at the port of Sabetta in the Kara Sea shoreline on the Yamal Peninsula in the Arctic circle, some 2450 km of Moscow.

Kirill Kudryavtesev | AFP | Getty Images

China and Russia are tightening their grip on Arctic shipping routes, turning the rapidly warming region into a new geopolitical battleground with Europe.

Moscow and Beijing last week have agreed to expand freight traffic along Arctic shipping corridors , increase services between their ports and deepen cooperation on building polar vessels.

The agreement came after the EU unveiled a new Arctic strategy aimed at countering growing Russian and Chinese influence in the region.

Although the competing moves underscore how the once-remote region is turning into a strategic prize, analysts said that Europe's ability to challenge the emerging China-Russia partnership remains limited, given Moscow's control over the main shipping corridor and Beijing's growing commercial clout.

Europe cannot realistically challenge Chinese and…