International cooperation is the spirit under the Antarctic Treaty.

As an Antarctic Treaty Consultative Party, China has been attending the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCM) since 1985. China has actively participated in the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP). Being the Permanent Observer of the Arctic Council(AC), China has selected scientists to participate in the working groups of AC. China is also the member state of International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), Forum of Arctic Research Operators (FARO) and Ny-Ålesund Science Managers Committee (NySMAC).

In 2004, Polar Research Institute of China(PRIC), together with its counterparts from Japan and South Korea, initiated the Asian Forum of Polar Sciences (AFoPS) to strengthen cooperation and coordination among Asian countries.

In 2013, with the five Nordic countries including Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland, PRIC established the China-Nordic Arctic Research Center (CNARC) to promote academic exchange between China and Nordic countries in the Arctic research, and to increase understanding and knowledge of Arctic and its global impact. The secretariat of CNARC is set at PRIC.

PRIC has established close ties with research institutions from major polar-expedition countries in the world. It has carried out extensive cooperation through bilateral cooperation agreements or MOUs, conducted exchanges and visits, and organized seminars and joint research. 

PRIC has actively participated in international research projects, such as the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP), Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (SAON), the international program of Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS), the Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC), and Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS).