2024-07-24 00:13:31
“We have seen increasing cooperation between China and Russia in the Arctic in a commercial sense, and China is a major financier of Russian energy resources in the Arctic,” US Deputy Defense Secretary Caitlin Hicks told reporters.
Military cooperation is also increasing, with “Russia and China conducting joint exercises off the coast of Alaska,” Hicks said as the ministry launched its 2024 strategy for the Arctic region.
“All these challenges have intensified because the temperature is rising rapidly and the ice layer is thinning under the influence of climate change, which facilitates all these activities,” said the deputy minister.
The document describes the Arctic as a “strategically important region” for the United States, which includes “the northern approaches to the homeland” and “significant US defense infrastructure.”
Russia has stepped up its military presence in the Arctic in recent years, renovating and modernizing several bases and airfields that had been abandoned since the end of the Soviet era, while China has poured money into polar exploration and research.
The rapid melting of polar ice has accelerated activity in the inhospitable region as countries seek new oil, gas and mineral deposits as well as shipping lanes in an area with a complex web of competing territorial claims.
“By 2030, the Arctic could experience its first nearly ice-free summer, and the loss of sea ice will increase the viability of Arctic sea transit routes and access to underwater resources,” the Arctic strategy states.
“As human activity increases, so will the risk of accidents, miscalculations, and environmental degradation,” and U.S. forces “must be prepared and equipped to mitigate the risks associated with potential contingencies in the Arctic.”
China later defended its Arctic policy and explained that it operates based on the “principles of respect, cooperation, mutual benefit and sustainability”, saying it is “committed to maintaining peace and stability” in the region.
“The US is distorting China’s Arctic policy and making rash remarks about China’s normal activities in the Arctic, which are in line with international law,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning.
2024-07-24 00:13:31