<p>China has demonstrated a growing ambition in polar politics, aligned with its ambitions for ocean governance. Using the case of fisheries management in the Arctic and Antarctica, we argue that China’s motivation reaches beyond military and commercial interests and extends to gaining policy discourse power through different strategies of norm ownership. This is evidenced by China’s aspiration to influence fisheries management in Antarctica through the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) and its attempts to engage in the Arctic Ocean from the initial stage of negotiations of unregulated fishing in the high seas of the Central Arctic Ocean. We suggest that China’s activities in polar water resemble its general approach to ocean governance. As a political maritime power, the scope of China’s vision in the Far North and Far South extends beyond the polar regions. This paper bridges the gap between China’s polar activities and its broader influence on the international maritime order.</p>