Alaska Focus: China’s Naval Presence Raises Eyebrows Before Trump-Putin Talks

As the world anticipates the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15th, a notable development involving China has emerged. The U.S. Coast Guard revealed that China has dispatched five research vessels to the Arctic region near Alaska. The Coast Guard is monitoring the situation and ready to respond to any potential threats within Alaskan and American Arctic waters. China has stated its view as a nation with an interest in the Arctic, citing its important role in the area. Over the past few years, China has intensified its activities in the region, notably with a previous deployment of three research vessels. The United States is watching this increased presence and China’s developing relationship with Russia. Consequently, the U.S. military has emphasized the need for enhancing its military capabilities and surveillance operations within the Arctic, along with cooperation with its allies. According to a Newsweek map, the Chinese vessels sailed from their mainland to the waters near Alaska. Simultaneously, American and Canadian icebreakers have been operational in the same waters since late July. On August 5th and 6th, the U.S. Coast Guard reported monitoring two Chinese research vessels, Ji Di and Zhong Shan Da Xue Ji Di, in the Bering Sea and Bering Strait. On July 25th, another vessel, Xue Long 2, was seen more than 230 miles off the coast of Alaska, and it remained in the area through August 6th.