A Chinese coast guard fleet conducted a joint patrol with Russia at the Arctic Sea.
The joint patrol, involving nine Chinese and Russian warships, was held after the conclusion of the joint naval exercise of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and the Russian Navy.
The joint patrol coincided with the 75th anniversary of the People's Republic of China and the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic ties. The patrol reportedly searched for an enemy submarine with one of Russia's diesel-electric submarines acting as the adversary.
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The ships also conducted a replenishment at sea with fleet oilers.
The joint military drills between China and Russia are being perceived as a show of strength directed at the US. The patrols are seen as a response to increasing shipping activity in the Arctic sea.
Security and strategy expert Zhou Bo has been quoted as saying that this new joint coastguard patrol “reflects a new height of the political trust between the two countries”.
The two countries have been carrying out similar patrols in the northern Pacific Ocean, but this is for the first time such an exercise was held at Arctic Sea, which is being used as an alternative trade route between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
The Northwest Passage of the Arctic links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. As ice cover is constantly being eroded due to global warming, the Arctic is increasingly becoming a viable alternative route for trade between Europe and Asia. The US, Russia, and China see the route as a major maritime asset.
In August, China and Russia had signed a joint communique, agreeing to develop the Arctic shipping routes.