Russia has reopened hundreds of Soviet-era military facilities in the Arctic, according to a report. Meanwhile, China, which describes itself as a country close to the Arctic region, also has ambitions and has said it intends to build a “polar silk road”. China is seeking mineral resources and new shipping routes as the ice shrinks as global temperatures rise.
“The People’s Republic of China and Russia are increasingly cooperating in the Arctic using various instruments of national power,” the Pentagon report said.
“While a number of disagreements between Beijing and Moscow remain, their growing cooperation in the region is a cause for concern, and (the Defense Department) continues to monitor this cooperation,” added the document, cited by Reuters.
Arctic sea lanes are increasingly being used to connect major economies across the Pacific and Atlantic oceans as global warming shrinks sea ice and keeps the sea ice-free for longer.
China and Russia are working together to develop shipping routes in the Arctic as Russia seeks to supply more oil and gas to China in the face of Western sanctions, and China seeks an alternative shipping route to reduce its dependence on the Malacca Strait.
“China engages in Arctic affairs in accordance with the basic principles of mutually beneficial cooperation and sustainable development, and strengthens cooperation with other countries to maintain peace and stability,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters on Tuesday.
Security scholars and regional military attachés say China’s reliance on Indian Ocean shipping lanes is seen as a strategic vulnerability for Beijing, particularly in the event of a conflict over Taiwan.
The Pentagon report added that China is seeking to take advantage of “changing dynamics in the Arctic to exert greater influence and access, take advantage of Arctic resources, and play a greater role in regional governance.”
The report added that the US military is pursuing a “surveillance and response” strategy in the region based on intelligence gathering, cooperation with allies and the ability to deploy military assets.
AFP/Scanpix/Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping
This month, the US, Canada and Finland will form a consortium to build icebreakers to boost allied shipbuilding and counter Russia and China in the increasingly strategic polar regions.
One official told Reuters that the deal, which the three NATO members are expected to sign by the end of the year, would focus the allies’ need to increase shipbuilding capacity, adding that it was intended to send a message to Russia and China.
He hastened to excuse himself
The Kremlin responded to the Pentagon report and stated that Russia’s cooperation with China in the Arctic region is not directed against any other country, according to Reuters.
When asked about the Pentagon report, a Kremlin spokesman noted that some of its statements have a confrontational tone and that Russia is cooperating with China only to promote stability.
According to him, Russia takes a responsible position and contributes to the fact that the Arctic does not become a territory of discord and tension.
D. Peskovas / ANTON VAGANOV / AFP
“From this point of view, cooperation between Russia and China in the Arctic zone can only contribute to the creation of an atmosphere of stability and predictability in the Arctic.
Cooperation between Russia and China is never directed against third countries or groups of third countries, it only aims to protect the interests of these countries (Russia and China),” explained D. Peskov.
Beijing and Moscow are working together to develop shipping routes in the Arctic as Russia seeks to supply more oil and gas to China amid Western sanctions.”
Source: www.15min.lt
