Coast Guard warns of 'increased activity' by Chinese vessels in the US Arctic

The U.S. Coast Guard has reported an "increase" in the presence of Chinese research vessels in the U.S. Arctic, detecting and monitoring five such vessels in the region over the past few days.

The development, described as part of a three-year trend of increased activity, underscores the growing strategic competition in the Arctic, according to the official statement from coastal authorities.

Coast Guard signals operations

On August 5, a C-130J Hercules aircraft from Air Station Kodiak identified the Chinese vessels Ji Di and Zhong Shan Da Xue Ji Di sailing northeast in the Bering Sea. The following day, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WMSL 751) responded to the Zhong Shan Da Xue Ji Di, which was transiting northward through the Chukchi Sea beyond the Arctic Circle after crossing the Bering Strait. These operations were conducted under Operation Border Sentinel, designed to counter adverse activities in Alaska and U.S. Arctic waters by promoting compliance with international standards.

The release also highlighted a previous incident in July, when a C-130J Hercules investigated the Chinese vessel Xue Long 2, located 290 nautical miles north of Utqiagvik, Alaska within the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf (ECS). The Coast Guard emphasized that these responses seek to protect sovereign interests and ensure national security from potentially malicious activities.

A joint monitoring

The agency noted that it collaborates with U.S. Northern Command and Alaska Command, in addition to other international agencies, to continuously monitor foreign vessel activity near sovereign waters and the ECS, ensuring compliance with U.S. and international laws.

The presence of these Chinese vessels, adding to the operations of three similar vessels in the region last year, reflects an intensification of China's research activities in the Arctic, an area of growing geostrategic significance.