U.S. Military Warns of Growing Russia-China Cooperation in Arctic

The U.S. military has raised concerns about the increased cooperation between Russia and China in the Arctic region. The Pentagon's new strategy highlights how both countries are ramping up their presence and influence, potentially impacting regional stability and global shipping routes as ice packs shrink.

The U.S. military has raised alarms over the escalating cooperation between Russia and China in the Arctic region, cautioning that this could impact regional stability. On Monday, the Pentagon released its new strategy for the Arctic, emphasizing that Russia has reopened hundreds of Soviet-era military sites in the area.

China, describing itself as a 'near-Arctic' state, has ambitions in the area, including establishing a 'Polar Silk Road.' Rising temperatures and shrinking ice packs have made mineral resources and new shipping routes more accessible, which China is keen on exploiting. 'Increasingly, the People's Republic of China and Russia are collaborating in the Arctic across multiple instruments of national power,' the Pentagon's report stated.

Despite areas of disagreement between the two nations, their growing alignment is a cause for concern, the Department of Defense noted. The Arctic's sea routes are gaining importance for connecting major economies across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. This month, the U.S., alongside Canada and Finland, will form a consortium to build icebreaker ships aimed at countering Russian and Chinese influence in this strategic region.

(With inputs from agencies.)