US defence report flags China’s expanding military reach in the Arctic
- Assessment says ‘Polar Silk Road’ means increased Chinese submarine presence
- Pentagon says large-scale amphibious invasion of Taiwan would strain the PLA’s resources
Chinese military activity in the Arctic could pave the way for a strengthened presence there that included the deployment of submarines as a deterrent against nuclear attack, the US Department of Defence said in a report released on Thursday.
The assessment was included in the US military’s annual report to Congress on China’s armed forces and followed Beijing’s publication of its first official Arctic policy white paper in June.
In that paper, China outlined plans to develop lanes for shipping opened by global warming to form a “Polar Silk Road” – building on President Xi Jinping’s “Belt and Road Initiative”.
China, a non-Arctic state, is increasingly active in the polar region and became an observer member of the Arctic Council in 2013. That prompted concerns from Arctic states over Beijing’s long-term objectives, including possible military goals.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will attend the meeting of the eight-nation Arctic Council in Rovaniemi, Finland, from Monday, amid growing concerns over China’s increased commercial interests in the Arctic.