For the first time, China conducted patrols in the Arctic Ocean, with two of its ships entering the Arctic the day before.

This is stated in CCTV’s official post on the Chinese social network Weibo.

They operate as part of a joint patrol with the Russian coast guard.

The day before, a joint patrol of four ships was spotted by the U.S. Coast Guard. The crew of an HC-130J Super Hercules aircraft taking off from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak spotted two Russian FSS Coast Guard ships and two Chinese Coast Guard ships about 440 miles southwest of St. Lawrence Island.

It was the northernmost location where the U.S. Coast Guard had ever observed a Chinese Coast Guard vessel.

“This recent activity demonstrates the increased interest in the Arctic by our strategic competitors,” Rear Admiral Megan Dean, Commander, Coast Guard 17th District, pointed out. “Demand for Coast Guard services in the region continues to grow, requiring continued investment in our capabilities to meet the presence of our strategic competitors and fulfill our statutory missions in an expanding area of operation.”

The vessels were transiting in a northeasterly direction, staying about five miles inside Russia’s exclusive economic zone.

The crew of the American HC-130 was working as part of the Frontier Sentinel operation, which aims to monitor the situation in and around US waters.

“The Coast Guard’s presence strengthens the international rules-based order and facilitates the conduct of operations in a manner consistent with international law and norms,” the US Coast Guard wrote in a statement.

The official report of the Chinese military media says that joint patrols have begun in the North Pacific and in the Arctic Ocean itself.

“During the National Day, the Chinese Coast Guard Maritime Formation arrived in the Arctic Ocean and began joint patrols with the Russian Coast Guard,” the CCTV reported on its Weibo page.

Back in 2018, China officially announced its intention to create a Polar Silk Road in the Arctic. There have already been several merchant ships using the new route, but shipping there is currently limited to the summer period when there is no ice.