|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The U.S. Coast Guard has confirmed that it detected and responded to the presence of the China-flagged research vessel Xue Long 2 operating within the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) in the Arctic region this past Friday.
According to official reports, the Xue Long 2—a polar icebreaker operated by the Polar Research Institute of China—was located approximately 290 nautical miles north of Utqiagvik, Alaska, and found to be operating 130 nautical miles inside the ECS boundary.
In response, a U.S. Coast Guard C-130J Hercules aircraft from Air Station Kodiak was deployed to monitor the Chinese vessel. The patrol was conducted under Operation Frontier Sentinel, a mission led by the Coast Guard Arctic District aimed at asserting a visible U.S. presence in the Arctic in response to activities by potential adversaries.
The Extended Continental Shelf, though beyond the traditional 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), grants the United States exclusive sovereign rights to explore and manage both living and non-living marine resources in the area.
Rear Admiral Bob Little, Commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Arctic District, emphasized the strategic importance of monitoring foreign vessel activity in Arctic waters.
“The U.S. Coast Guard, alongside our partners and other federal agencies, remains committed to monitoring and responding to foreign government vessel activity in and around U.S. waters. These efforts are critical to upholding our territorial integrity and defending our sovereign interests against malign state behavior,” he stated.
The Coast Guard continues to maintain a proactive posture in the Arctic, where climate change and geopolitical competition are increasingly drawing global attention.
