Russia and China are increasingly seeking to cooperate in the Arctic region, which could affect regional stability, the Pentagon said when announcing its strategy for the Arctic region, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
Russia has reopened hundreds of Soviet-era military sites in the Arctic, report says. China, which describes itself as being “close to the Arctic” country, also has ambitions there and has said it intends to build a “Polar Silk Road”. China has turned its attention to mineral resources and new shipping routes as ice retreats as temperatures rise.
"Increasingly, the People's Republic of China and Russia are cooperating in the Arctic through multiple instruments of national power," the Pentagon report said. "While there are significant areas of disagreement between the PRC and Russia, their growing rapprochement in the region is of concern and (the Ministry of Defense) continues to monitor this cooperation,” the document added.
Arctic sea lanes are increasingly used to connect major economies across the Pacific and Atlantic oceans as global warming reduces ice cover and allows for longer periods of ice-free seas.
China and Russia are working together to develop Arctic sea routes as Russia seeks to deliver more oil and gas to China amid Western sanctions, while China seeks alternative sea routes to reduce its reliance on the use of Strait of Malacca.
The Pentagon report added that China seeks to use "changing dynamics in the Arctic to achieve greater influence and access, take advantage of Arctic resources and play a greater role in regional governance.&rdquo ;.
The document specifies that the US military has a strategy of "observe and react” in the region, which is based on intelligence gathering, cooperation with allies and the ability to deploy military assets.