A senior military officer in the United States Arctic region has stated that due to concerns about the security of the United States mainland, the U.S. is closely monitoring China’s activities in the Arctic.
According to a report by Reuters on September 21, Rear Admiral Bob Little, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard in the Arctic region, revealed that there have been four Chinese research vessels operating near the U.S. Arctic waters so far in 2026, compared to a total of five in the entire year of 2025.
During a visit to Oslo to attend a Arctic security conference, Little mentioned that these Chinese vessels had been navigating in waters near the U.S. state of Alaska, including the Aleutian Islands, entering the Bering Strait, and reaching as far north as the North Pole.
Little pointed out that while these vessels were operating in international waters, they did not notify the U.S. in advance as is customary. When the U.S. attempted to contact these vessels and inquire about their activities, the Chinese side typically responded that they were conducting operations in “international waters” or engaging in “scientific research.”
Little expressed two main concerns on the U.S. side. Firstly, China might be using scientific research activities to gather data related to seabed mineral resources in U.S. waters.
Secondly, these types of research activities could “provide military advantages for them (the Chinese), or pose a security threat to the United States.” Little is responsible for a vast area of waters around Alaska and the Arctic, with operational ranges almost equivalent to those in Europe.
China has positioned itself as a “near-Arctic state” and aims to build an “Arctic Silk Road” in the region.
In recent years, China has been increasing its activities in the polar regions and has cooperated with Russian vessels as well.
Little mentioned that the U.S. is not only monitoring China but is also closely watching similar activities of Russian research vessels. He stated that areas such as the Barents Sea and the Baltic Sea have been witnessing so-called “hybrid threat activities.”
Moscow has denied that its research vessels are engaged in any illegal activities and has also refuted any threats to U.S. interests.