(The Epoch Times)—Chinese research vessels have increased activities in the U.S. Arctic region in the past three years, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) said on Aug. 8.
The Coast Guard said it was monitoring five similar Chinese vessels near the area at the time in the U.S. Arctic, after responding to the vessels Ji Di and the Zhong Shan Da Xue Ji Di, which were traveling northeast in the Bering Sea on Aug. 5.
“The presence of these vessels is consistent with a three-year trend of increased activity from Chinese research vessels operating in the U.S. Arctic. Last year, three Chinese research vessels conducted research operations north of the Bering Strait,” the USCG said in a statement.
On Aug. 6, the crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche again responded to the Zhong Shan Da Xue Ji Di as it was traveling north in the Chukchi Sea above the Arctic Circle, after passing through the Bering Strait.
The USCG said its fixed-wing aircraft and Coast Guard cutter, which were patrolling under Operation Frontier Sentinel, responded to the Chinese icebreakers to “counter malign activities, defend sovereign interests, and promote maritime conduct consistent with international law and norms.”
In July, the USCG also responded to Chinese research vessel Xue Long 2 north of Utqiagvik, Alaska.
The Epoch Times reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry for comment.
Speaking in December 2024 at an event hosted by Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies, then-deputy assistant secretary of defense for Arctic and Global Resilience, Iris Ferguson, said there had been increased competition in the Arctic, including from China, a relatively new player in the area.
Ferguson said the Department of Defense (DOD) was alarmed over the Chinese regime’s strategic interests in the region, and the regime’s “increasing levels of collaboration” with Russia in “unprecedented styles,” including a joint military exercise in the Bering Strait in 2023, a joint bomber patrol in July 2024, and increased Coast Guard cooperation in 2024.
According to the Pentagon’s Arctic Strategy, published in July 2024, the Chinese regime is seeking to increase its influence and activities in the Arctic.
“Though not an Arctic nation, the [People’s Republic of China] is attempting to leverage changing dynamics in the Arctic to pursue greater influence and access, take advantage of Arctic resources, and play a larger role in regional governance,” the document says.
The DOD said the increased cooperation between Russia and China, along with other challenges, “have the potential to alter the Arctic’s stability and threat picture,” while giving the DOD a chance to “enhance security in the region by deepening cooperation with Allies and partners.”
Last month, lawmakers passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which allocates more than $8.6 billion for the procurement of polar icebreakers to expand U.S. presence in the Arctic.
Starting the Day With a Scripture-Inspired Roast Helps Center Your Thoughts on Eternal Truths Amid Temporal Pressures
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