Pentagon warns about China’s increased activity in the Arctic, growing ambition to expand its presence
By Elizabeth Mclaughlin and Conor Finnegan
3 May 2019
(ABC News) – China is increasing its activity in the Arctic, building a second ice-breaking ship and looking to expand its footprint in Greenland, according to a new Pentagon report, and Beijing’s presence in the region could lead to the deployment of armed submarines, the report warned.
The warning comes as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo prepares to attend a summit of the Arctic Council, the eight countries with territory in the region, and hopes to rally them to counter Chinese influence.
“We’ve committed to peace and sustainable economic developments [in the Arctic] for the long term, and we’re concerned about activities of other nations, including China, that do not share these same commitments,” said a senior State Department official, speaking anonymously to brief reporters.
As in previous years, the congressionally mandated Pentagon report assesses China’s military and security developments and how those fit in with the nation’s long-term growth strategies in the Pacific. This year’s report specifically highlights China’s growing interest in the Arctic, which has alarmed countries with interests in that region.
In 2018, China published its first Arctic strategy, coining the phrase “Polar Silk Road” — a reference to the ancient network of trade routes that connected China to the West. The strategy also declared that China is a “Near-Arctic State.”
“There’s no such definition in the [Arctic] Council’s lexicon,” the senior State Department official said. “There are Arctic states and there are non-Arctic states. The eight Arctic states conduct governance of the Arctic region, and we reject attempts by non-Arctic states to claim a role in this process.”
According to the report, China’s interest in the Arctic is multi-faceted but centers around a desire for access to natural resources and securing sea routes in that region. As the earth’s temperature warms due to climate change, ice melt in the Arctic is opening up new shipping lanes, but the Pentagon warned that China’s presence there could lead to the deployment of submarines “as a deterrent against nuclear attacks.” [more]
