A combined Chinese and Russian naval convoy, including a guided missile cruiser and destroyer, was spotted near an Alaskan island by the United States Coast Guard.
Two more Chinese military ships and three Russian Navy ships were spotted in the Bering Sea in a single formation 86 miles (138 km) from the island of Kiska by US Coast Guard cutter Kimball.
The Honolulu-based ship tracked the ships before they broke formation and dispersed.
A C-130 Hercules provided air support from the Coast Guard station in Kodiak.
“While the training has operated in accordance with international rules and standards, we will meet with presence with presence to ensure there is no disruption to US interests in the maritime environment around Alaska,” said Rear Admiral Nathan Moore, Commander of the 17th Coast Guard District.
The Coast Guard said Operation Frontier Sentinel guidelines require meeting “presence with presence” when strategic competitors operate in and nearby US waters.
The incident came a month after NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned of China’s interest in the Arctic and growing Russian military training there.
He said Russia has established a new Arctic command and opened hundreds of new and former Soviet-era Arctic military sites, including deep-sea ports and airports.
China has declared itself a “close to the Arctic” state, he added, and plans to build the largest icebreaker in the world.
“Beijing and Moscow have also pledged to intensify practical cooperation in the Arctic. This is part of an ever-deepening strategic partnership that challenges our values and interests,” Stoltenberg said on a visit to northern Canada.
This is not the first time that Chinese navy ships have sailed near Alaskan waters.
In September 2021, Coast Guard cutters in the Bering Sea and the North Pacific encountered Chinese ships about 80km off the Aleutian Islands.
