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4h ago

U.S. Coast Guard Detects and Monitors Five Chinese Research Vessels Near Alaska

The operations support U.S. efforts to defend sovereign interests by upholding maritime norms in an increasingly contested Arctic.

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A map based on ship data captured by Global Fishing Watch shows the paths of five Chinese icebreakers sent to the Arctic from July-August 2025.

Overview

  • On August 5 and 6, Coast Guard assets intercepted and shadowed the Ji Di and Zhong Shan Da Xue Ji Di as they transited the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea.
  • Service officials are now monitoring five Chinese research vessels in or near U.S. Arctic waters under Operation Frontier Sentinel, including Shen Hai Yi Hao and Tan Suo San Hao.
  • In July, a Coast Guard C-130J Hercules queried the Xue Long 2 about 290 nautical miles north of Utqiagvik, reflecting a three-year rise in Chinese polar research operations.
  • U.S. and Canadian icebreakers such as the newly commissioned USCGC Storis and CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier are conducting concurrent patrols to bolster allied maritime security.
  • China’s Embassy in Washington maintains that its ships operate in accordance with international law and cautions against viewing the deployments with undue suspicion.