The growing defence collaboration between Russia and China, including joint military exercises and military technology exchange, is causing concern to the US.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Arctic and Global Resilience Iris A. Ferguson recently observed that China is working closely with Russia in an attempt to be seen as an Arctic power, although China is not an Arctic nation.
Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, the US, and Sweden are the Arctic nations. According to the US, Chinese leaders, however, see the Arctic region as a new source of raw materials and new avenues for manifesting its growing power.
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Ferguson further observed that despite the war in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin is investing heavily on military and economic strategies in the Arctic.
"(China) is one of the newer entrants on the scene. Over time, the strategic interests that they have in the region are … giving us pause. How their long-term vision for the region could affect our interests, is (also) giving us pause," she said.
She called the increasing level of military collaboration between Moscow and Beijing "disturbing" and said, "Just this past summer, right after we released our department (Arctic) strategy, we saw a joint bomber patrol off of the coast of Alaska."
She noted that this kind of increased level of military cooperation is new.
Ferguson said the new Arctic strategy of the US Department of Defence (DOD) is aimed at preserving the region as a place that is both stable and secure and added that the US is also focused on engaging with its allies and partners.
According to the DOD, these nations are a unique US strategic advantage that stretches from the border of European Russia to the Bering Strait.
While the US is working on using military exercises in the region, this may not be enough to counter China as Beijing is also involved in scientific and research projects in the region and is looking to establish economic ties within the Arctic region.
"We (the US) really just need to be clear-eyed about some of their intentions and, how we can be like thinking about their long-term interests and, how we can best protect ours," Ferguson said.
