Joint Russian and Chinese military activity in the Arctic Ocean area is a “concerning signal,” according to Michael Sfraga, the United States’ first ambassador-at-large for Arctic affairs, as reported by Reuters.
In October, Moscow and Beijing began joint naval and aerial patrols in the region.
The U.S. is closely tracking the “frequency and the complexity” of interactions between the two countries and monitoring developments across the Arctic.
“The fact that they are working together in the Arctic has our attention,” Sfraga said.
Joint flights by Russian and Chinese bombers near Alaska’s coast in July also raised particular concern. They were followed by the appearance of Russian and Chinese coast guard vessels in the Bering Strait in October.
Although these activities occurred in international waters and adhered to international law, the bomber flight near Alaska stirred U.S. security concerns, according to Sfraga.
“We do need to think about security, heighten our own alliances, our own mutual defenses. Alaska, the North American Arctic, is NATO’s western flank and so we need to think about the Arctic that way,” the ambassador added.
In recent years, the Arctic, rich in natural resources, has become a focal point of geopolitical competition. Western Arctic states – including the U.S., Canada, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland — are increasingly challenged by Russia’s ambitions.
China, meanwhile, has declared itself a “near-Arctic” state, seeking to establish a “Polar Silk Road” in the Arctic. This initiative would create new maritime routes as polar ice melts due to rising global temperatures and opens possible new shipping lanes.
Since the escalation of its invasion in Ukraine, Russia has intensified its military presence in the Arctic region, raising experts’ concerns over a possible military confrontation between Russia and NATO in the near future.
Cover: Russian Defense Ministry/AFP
