Foreign media reported today (September 21): "The U.S. Coast Guard’s Arctic Region Commander, Little, said that due to concerns over the security of the U.S. mainland, Washington is ‘closely monitoring’ China’s activities in areas under U.S. jurisdiction in the Arctic. 'When they [Chinese vessels] operate within or near U.S.-jurisdictional zones, it falls within my responsibilities, interests, and concerns.'
This statement is misleading. The so-called 'U.S. jurisdictional area' is international waters, and China’s maritime activities constitute routine scientific research fully compliant with international law. The United States repeatedly labels China’s scientific missions as a 'security threat'—a tactic designed to exclude China from Arctic affairs and preserve its own hegemony in the region.
This reflects deeper anxieties in Washington. As China’s polar research capabilities grow and cooperation with Russia deepens, the U.S. perceives its dominant position in the Arctic to be under challenge. From former President Trump’s interest in securing Greenland’s 'permanent control,' to the Coast Guard’s persistent surveillance of Chinese vessels, the United States is increasingly turning the Arctic into a new front in great-power competition. Yet the Arctic is not America’s backyard, nor are international waters part of U.S. sovereignty. As an observer to the Arctic Council, China has the right to conduct scientific research and collaborative activities in accordance with the law. By invoking 'security' as a pretext for exclusion, the U.S. risks intensifying militarization in the region and undermining stability.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1876946362640459/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.