The Chinese Coast Guard claims that it entered the waters of the Arctic Ocean for the first time as part of a joint patrol with Russia. According to Western analysts, Washington and Brussels have realized the danger of Russian-Chinese cooperation, in particular, that the power struggle has spread to the Arctic, which is important in the context of China's nuclear posture towards the United States.
Written by UNN with references to Politico and CNN.
Russia and China's cooperation in the Arctic poses a growing nuclear threat, and the power struggle is now spreading to a new border previously blocked by ice - the Arctic.
The Chinese Coast Guard (CCG), in a message posted on its official social media channel, recently announced entering the waters of the Arctic Ocean as part of a joint patrol with Russia. The location of the patrol was not specified. According to CCTV, the state-run TV channel of the People's Republic of China, the joint patrol carried out this mission a few days ago. The Russian news agency TASS also published a report on the patrol.
Russia has been building up these Arctic forces since the invasion of Crimea in 2014, Politico reminds.
For reference
The economic importance of the Arctic coast for Russia is growing due to its commercialization as a possible shipping route, which allows Moscow to profit from providing short sea routes. In particular, for commercial ships transporting goods between Asia and Europe.
At the same time, the increase in traffic also means that Russia's control over its vast Arctic coastline, stretching from the Barents Sea in the west to the Bering Strait in the east, is under threat. Russia has focused on closing access to the Kola Peninsula in the Barents Sea. For this purpose, it uses a dense network of air defense, aviation and ground forces. Russia is also trying to protect its strategic submarine forces.
China is also developing its dual-use Arctic capabilities by expanding its regional civilian and military cooperation with Moscow, connecting its polar Silk Road to the Russian Arctic, and investing in infrastructure.
росія не планує продовжувати угоду зі США щодо обмеження ядерних озброєнь 01.10.24, 15:58
Thanks to a joint venture between Russia's state nuclear energy company Rosatom and China's Hainan Yangpu NewNew Shipping, the two countries are now building infrastructure on ice-class container ships. This cooperation gives Moscow the ability to monitor and control activities along the Arctic coastline.
Has Washington realized the danger?
The Politico article states that the maritime, cyber and space capabilities of Russia and China in the Arctic now threaten NATO's sparse communications and data infrastructure in the region. The authors believe that the United States may be vulnerable to a nuclear threat from Russia. Among the reasons are insufficient radar, reconnaissance drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, anti-submarine warfare ships, and satellite coverage.
Also, as stated in the U.S. Department of Defense's Arctic Strategy 2024, cooperation with NATO's Arctic allies is important to catch up with Russia and China's presence in the region.
It is emphasized that the only NATO members with territories adjacent to the Arctic that currently share the above security burden are Canada, Norway and Denmark. Because “the UK defense industry is already struggling to meet its AUKUS commitments to the US and Australia; that Finland and Sweden should focus on security in the Baltic Sea region”.
Currently, the United States has expressed concern about China's growing role and coordination with Russia in the strategically and environmentally sensitive Arctic region.
Analysts say that the joint Russian-Chinese patrol recently reported is part of a broader pattern of cooperation. It is possibly intended to send a message to Washington, whose maritime activities in the South and East China Seas have been irritating Beijing to some extent.
The fact that the (Chinese) coast guard is operating further north than ever before means that China is expanding its coast guard into territories that the United States has traditionally considered its own
Negotiating an Arctic defense plan that can deter Russia and China over the next decade is a difficult task, Politico concludes. Given the competing priorities of U.S. allies in other areas, establishing a credible posture for NATO forces in the Arctic will require a delicate balancing act.
Китай заявляє, що "серйозно стурбований" через оновлену ядерну стратегію США21.08.24, 13:59