A Chinese research vessel, the Xue Long 2, was detected off the coast of Alaska on October 27, 2023, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The icebreaker was located approximately 290 nautical miles north of Utqiagvik, Alaska, within the U.S. Arctic region. The ship is operated by China’s Polar Research Institute and was identified as being 130 nautical miles inside the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf (ECS), which extends beyond 200 nautical miles from the coast.
The U.S. Coast Guard emphasized its exclusive rights to manage resources within its ECS. In a statement, the Coast Guard noted, “The U.S. has exclusive rights to conserve and manage the living and non-living resources of its ECS.” A Coast Guard C-130J Hercules surveillance aircraft was dispatched to monitor the vessel’s activities.
In a statement, Rear Adm. Bob Little, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Arctic District, highlighted the importance of vigilance, stating, “The U.S. Coast Guard, alongside partners and other agencies, vigilantly monitors and responds to foreign government vessel activity in and near U.S. waters to secure territorial integrity and defend sovereign interests against malign state activity.”
The detection of the Xue Long 2 follows reports from Canada’s CBC News, which indicated that the Canadian military was also tracking the movements of the Chinese vessel in the Arctic. According to Major Alexander Naraine, a spokesperson for the military’s joint operations centre, the ship was “not currently in Canadian territorial waters.” Canada monitored the vessel using a Lockheed CP-140 Aurora aircraft stationed in Alaska.
This incident comes on the heels of heightened military activity in the region. Earlier in the week, NORAD reported that four Russian military planes were tracked flying near the Alaskan coast. These aircraft had entered a section of international airspace known as the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). Although this area is classified as international airspace, it requires identification of all aircraft for national security purposes.
In January 2024, American and Canadian fighter jets were scrambled in response to similar sightings of Russian warplanes in the Arctic region. In another notable event, in July 2024, U.S. forces intercepted several Chinese or Russian bombers near the Alaskan coast. At that time, defense officials stated that it was the first occurrence of Russian and Chinese aircraft jointly entering the Alaska ADIZ, marking a significant moment in Arctic military dynamics.
The U.S. Coast Guard continues to monitor foreign vessel activity diligently, reflecting the growing complexity of geopolitical relations in the Arctic. As nations enhance their presence in this strategically important region, the significance of these developments cannot be overstated.
