US Hypes ‘Threats from China, Russia’ in Arctic Strategy, to Push for Militarization in the Region: Expert

By Xu Keyue

Jul 23, 2024 09:03 PM

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks announces the Pentagon's new Arctic Strategy during a press briefing at the Pentagon on Monday, July 22, 2024 in Washington. Photo: VCG

A new Pentagon strategy released on Monday is advocating for increased US investment to upgrade sensors, communications and space-based technologies in the Arctic to "keep up with China and Russia." However, Chinese experts have dismissed the push for militarization in the Arctic, viewing it as a tactic to hype "threats" from China and Russia during the election campaign.

Saying that now is "a critical time" for the Arctic, US Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks told reporters Monday that "climate change, increased activity by adversaries and degrading US infrastructure" are forcing the department to rethink how to keep the Arctic secure and ensure troops are well-equipped and protected, AP reported.

According to AP, the Arctic strategy is short on specifics, but broadly pushes for greater spending on high-tech sensor and radar systems, a range of military equipment and continued investment in Pituffik Space Base, the US Space Force base in the northwest corner of Greenland. And it relies on growing partnerships with Canada and a number of NATO allies in the north.

While claiming unable to quantify the "increased activity" by China and Russia in the Arctic, Hicks called the growing cooperation between the two "troubling." Also, the AP news report baselessly smeared Chinese icebreaker ships with accusations of doing "civil-military research" in the region. 

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday at a press briefing that "the US misrepresented China's Arctic policy and pointed fingers at China's normal activities in the Arctic conducted in full compliance with international law. This is not conducive to peace, stability and cooperation in the Arctic."

China is an important stakeholder in Arctic affairs and always follows the basic principles of respect, cooperation, win-win result and sustainability in engaging in Arctic affairs and enhancing cooperation with various parties. We are always committed to promoting peace, stability and sustainable development of the Arctic, Mao stated.

This strategy wholly serves domestic politics and the internal struggles of the US as the Biden administration tries to ramp up the so-called threats of Russia and China in order to defend its policies and leave a "political legacy," Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

So the Biden administration is raising Arctic affairs as an issue now, which in itself indicates that they don't have much to talk about, just following their old tricks of creating an issue and hyping the so-called threats of China and Russia, Lü said.

Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, raised concerns over the Pentagon's new Arctic strategy as he believes militarization in the region serves US goals of controlling important strategic energy pipeline channels and gaining an advantage in key areas of competition among major powers.

The Arctic can be said to be the most important channel for future global energy, especially after the melting of the ice caps due to climate change, and the strategic significance of the Arctic region's waterways will surpass any previous period and any region, according to Li.

Therefore, the US is very concerned that other competitors will control the key future global energy channel, thereby weakening America's dominant position or influence in overall global strategy, especially in the energy sector, Li said.

He also noted that the Arctic is also an important area for the US to manipulate alliances, strengthen alliances through risis and instability. He warned that US militarization in the Arctic will increase the likelihood of conflicts in the region.

Experts predicted that the US' military plans in the region will make global Arctic governance difficult and reduce global capacity to respond to environmental disasters.