Canada and the United States have been discreetly monitoring two Chinese icebreaking research vessels in Arctic waters near Alaska for the past few weeks. The Chinese ships, named Xue Long (Snow Dragon) and Xue Long 2, were observed sailing through the U.S. exclusive economic zone in the Bering Sea in July, as reported by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The presence of Chinese research vessels in the Arctic Ocean during summers in recent years has raised concerns among security and defense officials. Data gathered by independent research consultant and ship tracker Steffan Watkins revealed that a Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 surveillance plane has been active in Alaska since early July.
The Canadian Department of National Defence confirmed that the surveillance plane has been monitoring the activities of the two Chinese vessels in collaboration with the U.S. authorities. The vessels are currently operating outside of Canada’s exclusive economic zone, an area beyond territorial waters where the country holds rights to resources and jurisdiction over research and environmental protection activities.
In response to inquiries about the Chinese ships, Defence Minister David McGuinty stated that the Canadian military actively watches over the country’s waters. China, which considers itself a near-Arctic nation, maintains that its icebreakers are deployed for peaceful scientific research, environmental monitoring, and climate change studies. However, these research ships are known to deploy advanced sonar and telemetry buoys that can track environmental changes and submarine activities.
Richard Shimooka, a defense researcher at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute in Ottawa, emphasized the multifunctional capabilities of the Chinese research ships and their potential to track submarine movements. He also highlighted Canada’s growing role in the western Pacific amid the U.S. Navy’s engagements in other regions. However, he noted limitations due to the aging fleet of Canadian navy vessels.
Members of the Canadian House of Commons defense committee, including Conservative defense critic James Bezan, stressed the need for increased surveillance in the Arctic region due to heightened Chinese activities and cooperation with Russia. The federal government has initiated investments in new destroyers, Arctic-capable submarines, and undersea sensor networks to safeguard Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic region.
Bezan emphasized the urgency of bolstering defense capabilities in the Arctic, citing challenges from Russia and China that pose threats to Canada’s maritime claims in the Far North, including the Northwest Passage. Safeguarding the Arctic region, with its vast energy resources, is crucial to protecting Canadian interests against external adversaries.