US Coast Guard Shadows Chinese Ships Near Alaska

The United States continues to monitor China’s research activity in the Arctic, as the Coast Guard shadowed two Chinese ships near Alaska earlier this week.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Why It Matters

China has declared itself a “near-Arctic state” and a stakeholder in regional affairs, despite being located in East Asia. A fleet of five Chinese research vessels has been deployed simultaneously on Arctic missions since last month, which the U.S. Coast Guard said aligns with a three-year trend of increased Chinese activity in the region.

Facing China’s growing activity in the Arctic, along with Russia’s persistent military presence, the Pentagon has called for a stronger posture and enhanced capabilities. The U.S. military recently conducted two exercises—Northern Edge 2025 and Arctic Edge 2025—in Alaska and the Arctic to ensure readiness to deter and defeat adversaries.

What To Know

The U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday that a pair of Chinese research ships—the Zhong Shan Da Xue Ji Di and the Ji Di—were spotted operating in the Arctic Ocean on the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) near Alaska between Sunday and Tuesday.

The ECS refers to the portion of the continental shelf extending beyond 230 miles from Alaska’s coastline. For comparison, the U.S. territorial sea and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) extend up to 13.8 miles and 230 miles from the coastline, respectively.

The Zhong Shan Da Xue Ji Di was spotted operating approximately 230 miles north of Utqiagvik on Alaska’s northern coast on Sunday, while the Ji Di was seen about 265 miles northwest of Utqiagvik two days later, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

USCGC Healy, America’s most technologically advanced polar icebreaker, was dispatched to monitor and query both Chinese vessels. The Healy has been patrolling the Arctic alongside the national security cutter USCGC Waesche since Saturday.

Meanwhile, USCGC Storis, the first U.S. polar icebreaker acquired in over 25 years, is operating in the Bering Sea—which lies between Alaska and the Russian Far East—and the Arctic to protect United States national security interests, the U.S. Coast Guard added.

Describing the Arctic as a growing zone of strategic global competition, the U.S. Coast Guard said it works with both the U.S. Northern Command and the Alaskan Command to “constantly monitor” foreign vessels operating in and near U.S. waters in the region.

What People Are Saying

Rear Admiral Bob Little, the commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Arctic District, said in a press release on Wednesday: “The U.S. Coast Guard is controlling, securing, and defending the northern U.S. border and maritime approaches in the Arctic to protect U.S. sovereignty, and Healy‘s operations demonstrate the critical need for more Coast Guard icebreakers to achieve that.”

China’s Arctic Policy read: “Peace and stability in the Arctic provides a significant guarantee for all activities in the region, and serves the fundamental interest of all countries including China. China calls for the peaceful utilization of the Arctic and commits itself to maintaining peace and stability, protecting lives and property, and ensuring the security of maritime trade, operations and transport in the region.”

What Happens Next

It remains to be seen whether the U.S. Coast Guard will encounter the remaining three Chinese vessels—the Xue Long 2, the Shen Hai Yi Hao and the Tan Suo San Hao—deployed to the Arctic. China is likely to maintain a steady presence in the region.