Russia Has Military Supremacy In The Arctic

Reuters: NATO allies wake up to Russian supremacy in the Arctic 

(Reuters) - The world's largest satellite ground station, on the Svalbard archipelago off Norway, is used by Western space agencies to gather vital signals from polar-orbiting satellites. 

This January, one of two fibre-optic cables on the Arctic seabed connecting Svalbard to the mainland was severed. 

Norway was forced to rely on a back-up link. In April 2021, another cable – one used by a Norwegian research laboratory to monitor activity on the Arctic seafloor – was ripped away. 

 "This could have happened by accident," Norway's defence chief Eirik Kristoffersen told Reuters in response to the ruptures, which received little media coverage outside Norway. "But the Russians are capable of cutting cables." 

 Read more ....  

WNU editor: There is a NATO presence in the Arctic, but it is dwarfed by the Russian presence .... NATO frigates shadowed outside Russia’s Arctic submarine bases (Barents Observer). And we have no one to blame but ourselves. That while Russia has been making a huge commitment to develop the Arctic, Nation countries like Canada have not .... Auditor general finds aging icebreakers, aircraft hamper monitoring of Arctic waters (CBC).

US To Name Arctic Regional Ambassador

FOX News: Biden admin creates Arctic region ambassador position to counter climate change, geopolitical threats 

The State Department said a 'peaceful' Arctic region is of 'critical strategic importance' to the United States 

The Biden administration has announced plans to establish a new ambassador-at-large position to represent the Arctic region amid growing geopolitical tensions with two other large players in the area, China and Russia. 

"To further American interests and cooperation with Allies and partners in the Arctic, and after extensive consultations with Members of Congress, local and federal government officials, and external stakeholders, the President plans to elevate the Arctic Coordinator position by appointing an Ambassador-at-Large for the Arctic Region, subject to the advice and consent of the Senate," the State Department wrote in a press release on Friday.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Russia is spending billions in the Arctic. The US will need to do more than just making an ambassadorial post for the region.

 US To Name Arctic Regional Ambassador  

Establishing an Ambassador-at-Large for the Arctic Region -- US Department of Defense  

US upgrades Arctic engagement with new ambassadorial post -- AP  

US counters Putin in the Arctic after NATO said the North Pole is the 'shortest path' for Russian missiles to North America: Washington appoints ambassador-large to oversee region where Moscow has 13 bases and has drawn China's interest -- Daily Mail  

The iceman cometh: Biden creates an Arctic ambassador -- Politico  

U.S. To Establish Ambassador's Post For Arctic As NATO Homes In On Region's Defense -- RFE  

US to name Arctic ambassador as thawing pole heats superpower rivalry -- The Guardian/AFP  

US to name Arctic ambassador eying Russia and China -- Al Jazeera 

U.S. to appoint Arctic ambassador in sign of region's growing importance -- Axios

Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg Is Touring The Arctic With Canadian PM Trudeau

 

CBC: NATO chief tours Arctic defences as Canada comes under pressure to guard the Far North 

Secretary general receives security briefing, observes annual military exercise NATO's secretary general got an up-close look at Canada's northern defences — and culture — on Thursday during a visit to the Arctic, a region of escalating geopolitical competition. 

Accompanied by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Jens Stoltenberg had a first-hand look at a North Warning System radar station in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut — part of a system due to be modernized as part of a multibillion-dollar refurbishment of NORAD, the North American air defence system. 

Stoltenberg was given a full security briefing by Canada's top military commander, Gen. Wayne Eyre.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: This is the first time that a NATO Secretary-General has visited the Arctic. 

Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg Is Touring The Arctic With Canadian PM Trudeau  

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg touring Arctic defence site in Nunavut -- CTV News 

NATO Chief Stoltenberg Says Russia-China Cooperation In Arctic Poses Challenge To Alliance -- Republic World  

NATO chief outlines Arctic expansion -- RT  

Russia’s war on Ukraine has put Arctic defence back on Canada’s agenda. Here’s why -- Global News/Canadian Press

Norway Blocks Supplies To Russian Settlements In The Svalbard Islands

RT: Russia warns Norway over conflict in Arctic  

Moscow says the blockade of supplies for miners is “unacceptable”  

Moscow has summoned, on Wednesday, Norway’s charge d’affaires Solveig Rossebo over the “unacceptable” ban on the delivery of supplies to a Russian Arctic mining operation in the Svalbard Islands, the Foreign Ministry has announced. 

Norwegian media outlets had previously cited the authorities as confirming that the Russians on Svalbard were denied an exemption from sanctions that were imposed on Moscow over its conflict with Ukraine.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Svalbard is a group of islands located midway between Norway’s north coast and the North Pole. It is a part of Norway, but Russia has the right to exploit the archipelago’s natural resources under a treaty signed in 1920. A number of the settlements on the archipelago are populated mainly by Russians. 

Norway Blocks Supplies To Russian Settlements In The Svalbard Islands  

Norway did not allow passage of goods to Russian settlements in Svalbard -- TASS  

Russia accuses Norway of Arctic blockade and threatens reprisals -- Euronews/AFP  

Moscow threatens reprisals after accusing Norway of blocking transit to Svalbard -- The Local  

Russia threatens retaliation against Norway over access to Arctic islands -- Reuters  

Russia, Norway holding talks on Spitsbergen cargo dilemma, says diplomat -- TASS  

Russia threatens retaliation over Norway Arctic island goods ban -- Al Jazeera  

Russian senator slams Norway’s blockage of Russian goods to Spitsbergen -- TASS

Russian Military Continues To Build-Up Its Forces In The Arctic

Russia has been building new military bases while opening gas and oil fields across the Arctic, many of them along the North-East Passage - a valuable trading route that is opening up due to melting ice which Putin hopes he will be able to monetise in the years to come, along with $30trillion in natural resources 

Daily Mail: Putin's icy grip on Arctic 'battleground of the future': West urged to 'wake up' to Russian threat as Moscow builds new military bases, races to extract natural resources worth $30trillion and exploit new shipping routes with China's help 

* West urged to 'wake up' to Russian threat in the Arctic, with dozens of new military bases built in last decade * Putin will rely more heavily on region as Europe turns off gas supply and Western sanctions bite, report says 

* Kremlin hopes to plunder $30tr in Arctic resources, and exploit new shipping lanes opened by melting ice 

* Moscow is increasingly partnering with China in these missions, giving Beijing back-door access to region 

The West has been told to 'wake up' to Russia's growing plot to weaponise and monetise the Arctic, turning the once pristine and peaceful polar region into the 'battleground of the future.' 

For years Vladimir Putin has been building airbases, missile launch pads, radar stations and naval yards north of the Artic Circle - but the region is now set to take on renewed importance after Russia was hammered by Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine, which also trashed its reputation as Europe's second-most powerful army.  

Read more .... 

Update: Russian military moves in the Arctic worry the U.S. and NATO (Yahoo News)  

WNU Editor: Canada is finally addressing this growing Russian presence .... Canada Plans Billions in Military Spending to Counter Russia Threat in Arctic (WSJ).

The EU Does Not Want Russia To Develop Its Oil, Coal And Gas Resources In The Arctic

 

CNBC: After the gas crisis, the Arctic could be Russia and Europe’s next flashpoint 

* On Wednesday, the European Union put forward proposals that could see it trying to ban any tapping of new oil, coal and gas deposits in the Arctic. 

* The EU says it wants to protect the region from further disruptive climate change. 

* But countries like Russia derive economic wealth from the region’s hydrocarbons and other natural resources. 

A new cold front could open up in the political tension between the European Union and Russia over energy. This time in the Arctic. 

On Wednesday, the EU put forward proposals that could see it pushing to ban the tapping of new oil, coal and gas deposits in the Arctic in an effort, it said, to protect the region from further disruptive climate change. 

Russia, a major holder of Arctic territory where an abundance of its hydrocarbon and fish stocks are found, is not too pleased with the proposals with Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak telling CNBC Thursday that they were politically-motivated and nonsensical.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: In the middle of a serious energy crisis the EU now wants to make it worse. The disconnect between the EU elites and the general population has always been jaw-dropping to me.

More News On The EU Not Wanting Russia To Develop Its Oil, Coal And Gas Resources In The Arctic  

EU aims for greater Arctic role and calls for oil, coal and gas to stay in the ground -- The Guardian  

EU to seek ban on oil and gas exploration in the Arctic -- Reuters  

EU calls for ban on Arctic oil and gas drilling -- EU Observer

China Wants To Play A Big Role In The Arctic

China's icebreaker Xuelong docks at an ice covered area in the Antarctic during a 2014 expedition. [Photo/Sina Weibo]

CNBC: Tensions will likely grow as China seeks bigger role in the Arctic  

* China’s ambitions to take a more significant role in the Arctic are likely to lead to growing tensions, according to Oksana Antonenko, a director at risk consultancy firm Control Risks. 

 * Beijing announced plans for a “Polar Silk Road” in 2018 and previously referred to itself as a “near-Arctic state,” a proposition that ignited some controversy. 

China’s ambitions to take a more significant role in the Arctic will likely lead to growing tensions, according to risk consultancy firm Control Risks. 

China has developed a “prominent presence” in the region since joining the Arctic Council as an observer in 2013, Oksana Antonenko, director at Control Risks, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia.” 

The Arctic Council is made up of eight Arctic States — Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: This blog has been covering China's intentions in the Arctic for years (see below). It is about time that the countries that border the Arctic have taken notice. 

China Wants To Lay Claim To The Arctic (April 6, 2014)  

China Wants To Exploit The Resources In The Arctic (July 24, 2014)

Can China Be Trusted In The Arctic? (December 3, 2014)  

Update: this is what I said on April 6, 2014 ....

.... This is not the first time that China has made such claims. I actually had such a conversation with my Chinese friends a few years ago .... they were trying to convince me that the Arctic belongs to the world, and those who have the means should exploit it (i.e. to look for oil and natural resources). That claim is (in my opinion) ridiculous and dubious .... but that is what they are preaching in Beijing.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Warns Of The Militarization Of Arctic

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks with CEO of Reykjavik Energy Bjarni Bjarnason during a tour to the Hellisheidi Geothermal Plant, in Hengill, Iceland, May 18, 2021.  

RFE: Blinken Warns Of Militarization Of Arctic Ahead Of Key Meetings In Europe 

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on a diplomatic tour that includes his first face-to-face talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, has warned that Washington is concerned over a military buildup in the Arctic, a region gaining in strategic importance among the world's superpowers. 

"We have concerns about some of the increased military activities in the Arctic that increase the...prospects of accidents...and undermine the shared goal of a peaceful and sustainable future for the region," Blinken told reporters in Reykjavik on May 18, a day before the start of a meeting of the eight-member Arctic Council in Reykjavik. 

"What we need to avoid is a militarization of the region," he added.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Top US Diplomat Against Militarizing Arctic (VOA)  

Update #2: Russia's Northernmost Base Projects its Power Across Arctic (AP)  

WNU Editor: The U.S. is poorly position to dictate what is to happen in the Arctic. The U.S. military and economic footprint in the Arctic is lacking, and there is no sign that the White House is going to commit resources to substantially increase the US presence in the North.

Update #3: Russia has responded to US Secretary of State Blinken's remarks .... Russia's Foreign Minister Shrugs Off Concerns of Military's Arctic Expansion: 'It's Our Territory' (Newsweek).

Russia Is Building Up Its Military In The Arctic

A Russian soldier walks at a radar facility on the Alexandra Land island near Nagurskoye on Monday as the Kremlin seeks to assert dominance in the region

The base is located between the Russian mainland and the North Pole and is the county's northernmost military base  

Daily Mail: Putin's military base in the far North revealed: Moscow tells the West 'this is our land' and reveals huge complex that can operate nuclear bombers and bristles with missiles and radar 

* The Nagurskoye airbase in the Franz Josef Land archipelago was built in the Cold War as a weather station 

* It has now been heavily militarised with missiles, a radar system and a runway handling nuclear bombers 

* It comes amid increasing tensions in the Arctic with global competition for the oil and gas rich area Russia is building up its military in a remote Arctic airbase prime with missiles, radar and a runway as the Kremlin seeks to assert its dominance in the disputed oil-rich area which it declared this week it 'our land'. 

The Nagurskoye airbase in the Franz Josef Land archipelago was built in the 1950s as a weather station and communications outpost between the Eurasian mainland and the North Pole. 

It was previously a home for polar bears with temperatures plunging to minus 42 Celsius in winter, and snow only disappearing from August to mid-September.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Russia flexes muscles in challenge for Arctic control (BBC) 

Update #2: Russia to deploy bombers in icy Arctic as US emphasizes need to ‘maintain peace’ in region ahead of crunch summit over territory (RT)  

WNU Editor: American security specialists are finally noticing the importance of the Arctic and why Russia is active in this region .... Panel Warns of Economic and Military Impacts from Russia’s Plans for Arctic (USNI News).

Russia Warns West Against Arctic Encroachment Ahead Of Arctic Council Talks

Moscow Times/AFP: Russia Warns West Against Arctic Encroachment Ahead of Talks 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday warned Western countries against staking claims in the Arctic, as global warming makes the region more accessible and a site of global competition.

Lavrov's comments came ahead of a ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council that comprises Russia, the United States, Canada, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland on Wednesday and Thursday in Rejkavik. 

"It has been absolutely clear for everyone for a long time that this is our territory, this is our land," Lavrov said at a press conference in Moscow."We are responsible for ensuring our Arctic coast is safe," he said. 

As climate change makes the Arctic more accessible, global interest in the region's natural resources, its navigation routes and its strategic position has grown among members of the Arctic Council as well as China.

Read more .... 

Update: The Arctic presents a test of US-Russian ties ahead of expected Biden-Putin summit (SBS) 

WNU Editor: The U.S. and its allies have been slow in realizing how important the Arctic is .... Panel Warns of Economic and Military Impacts from Russia’s Plans for Arctic (USNI News).

Russia Now Claiming A Major Portion Of The Arctic

CBC: 'You cannot claim any more:' Russia seeks bigger piece of Arctic 

Russia wants to stretch out imaginary lines on the ocean floor — and below it — and that has one northern security expert worried about consequences for other Arctic countries like Canada. 

Last week, Russia filed a submission to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to extend a claim to the Arctic Ocean seabed. 

The UN still has to review the submission but, if it's approved, Russia would have exclusive rights to resources in the seabed and below it, and not in the water. 

The new submission would push Russia's claim all the way up to Canada's exclusive economic zone, an area 200 nautical miles from the coastline, in which Canadians have sole rights to fish, drill and pursue other economic activities. 

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Russia has the military assets to enforce their claims .... Russian military presence expanding in the Arctic region, satellite images show (Euronews). 

Russia is not making any claims that infringe on U.S. territory, but the U.S. is still trying to figure out what to do .... US Army says it needs to 'regain dominance' in the Arctic, but it's still figuring out what it needs to do it (Business Insider).

Satellite Images Show A Huge Russian Military Buildup In The Arctic

Daily Mail: Satellite images show Putin is amassing and testing a huge military arsenal in the Arctic 

 * Satellite images show Russia beefing up its military presence in the Arctic 

 * The images show the military has been rebuilding and expanding facilities 

 * They reveal Moscow has been revamping runways, deploying additional surveillance and air defence assets 

 * It comes as three of Russia's nuclear ballistic missile submarines smashed through the Arctic in a show of strength 

Satellite images appearing to show Russia beefing up its military presence in the Arctic have emerged just days after three of Moscow's nuclear ballistic missile submarines smashed through the polar region in a show of strength. 

The images show the Russian military has been rebuilding and expanding numerous facilities across the Arctic in recent years. 

From revamping runways to deploying additional surveillance and air defence assets, the satellite images reveal a continuous effort to expand Moscow's capabilities in the polar region. 

Read more .... 

Update: Satellite images show huge Russian military buildup in the Arctic (CNN) 

WNU Editor: This Russian military buildup in the Arctic is nothing new. WNU Has been covering it for years .... Russia To Establish Permanent Military Presence In The Arctic (December 11, 2013).

US Army Announces Its Strategy To Regain 'Arctic Dominance'

'The Arctic is an opportunity to rapidly employ the speed, range and convergence of cutting-edge technologies being developed for Multi-Domain Operations to strengthen our deterrence capabilities in the region,' said Gen. James McConville, the Army chief of staff 

Daily Mail: US Army announces strategy to regain 'Arctic Dominance' in frozen region considered vital for natural resources and shipping 

 * The military branch says the Arctic is a 'vital area' for national resources and shipping channels 

 * The strategy document refers to competition between 'great power' nations in the world's northernmost region

 * Army forces in the Arctic and sub-Arctic are stationed at three major bases in Alaska

 * Report says climate change likely to be a factor for nations competing in the Arctic 

The U.S. Army has announced the launch of an updated strategy for its forces in the Arctic, which the military branch said is a 'vital area' for national resources and key shipping channels. 

The Army announced the strategy called, 'Regaining Arctic Dominance,' in a statement released Monday. 

The strategy will encompass the Army's plans to operate in the Arctic region, including training, organizing and equipping its forces 'to partner with Arctic allies and secure our national interests and maintain regional stability.' 

Read more .... 

 More News On The US Army Announcing Its Strategy To Regain 'Arctic Dominance' 

Army announces release of Arctic Strategy -- US Army 

Army’s new Arctic strategy takes shape in Alaska’s frigid interior -- Army Times 

New strategy sets up Army to operate in increasingly relevant Arctic -- Defense News 

Army focuses on defending and fighting in Arctic region with new strategy -- Stars and Stripes

BREAKING: Army Releases New Arctic Strategy -- National Defense 

US Army Releases Arctic Strategy: Will Improve Service's Posture in the Region -- High North News

US, China And Russia Race To Control Far North

Euronews/AP: All eyes on the Arctic: US, China and Russia race to control far north

The United States has warned it will become more active in the Arctic, to counter growing Russian influence and efforts by China to position itself in the resource-rich region.

During a brief visit to Denmark, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hailed the reopening of the US consulate in the semi-autonomous Danish territory of Greenland and unveiled a sustainable fisheries and commercial engagement agreement with the Faroe Islands, another Danish territory in the North Atlantic.

"It's a new day for the United States in Greenland,'' Pompeo told reporters at a joint news conference with Danish foreign minister Jeppe Kofod on Wednesday.

The far north has long been too distant, too cold and too hostile for commercial and military exploration.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Both Russia and China see the Arctic as a long term play. As for the U.S. and Canada. They say they are focused on the North, but all I here is a lot of talk .... Trump Says He's Working To Get 10 More Icebreakers For The Coast Guard From "A Certain Place" (Warzone/The Drive).

China's First Domestically Built Ice Breaker Has Set Sail For Its First Trip To The Arctic.

Aerial photo taken on Oct 15, 2019 shows China's polar icebreaker Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon 2, that is to depart at the Shekou cruise home port in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province. China's first domestically made polar icebreaker Xuelong 2 started its maiden voyage to the Antarctic from the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen Tuesday. Xuelong 2 set sail on the country's 36th Antarctic expedition. Another icebreaker named Xuelong will also join the expedition, making it the first time that two polar icebreakers work together on China's Antarctic expedition. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Business Insider: China's first homemade icebreaker heads to the Arctic as Trump looks for 10 more of them from 'a certain place'

The Xuelong 2, China's first domestically built icebreaker left Shanghai on July 15 for its first trip to the Arctic.

It's not the first time a Chinese icebreaker has gone to the Arctic, but the ship and the trip underscore Chinese ambitions for the region at a time when many countries are pursuing their interests there.

China's first domestically built icebreaker left this month for its first trip to the Arctic, a few days after President Donald Trump said the US was pursuing as many as 10 new icebreakers of its own, underscoring the growing interest major powers have in being able to access the region.

Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon 2, left Shanghai on July 15 for a scientific expedition to the Arctic and is expected to return in late September. Scientists aboard the ship plan to research Arctic biodiversity and ecosystems to improve China's understanding of climate change in the Arctic, according to state media.

The Xuelong, which China bought in the 1990s, has already traveled to the Arctic. While Xuelong 2's trip isn't a first for Beijing, it adds credibility to China's polar ambitions, according to Dr. Elizabeth Buchanan, a lecturer at Deakin University in Australia.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This may surprise some people, but China has made claims to parts of the Arctic .... China Wants To Lay Claim To The Arctic (April 6, 2014).

The Next Frontier In The China-US Struggle Will Be The Arctic

Members of a Chinese research team set up an ocean profiling float at a short-term data acquisition location near the icebreaker Xuelong in the Arctic Ocean in 2016. Photo: Xinhua

SCMP: Trade, tech … and now the Arctic? The next frontier in the China-US struggle for global control

* Beijing has defined itself as a ‘near-Arctic state’ and is taking a growing interest in shipping and economic development of other countries in the area
* But Washington is wary of its rival’s ambitions and the potential for Chinese science and commerce to morph into a security threat

China and the United States have been diplomatically banging heads over trade disputes for the best part of the last 18 months, while elsewhere their rivalry is playing out as a global grappling match for power and influence from the South China Sea to Africa. The Arctic may be next on the list.

This month is the second anniversary of China’s announcement of a policy to include the polar region in its Belt and Road Initiative, an ambitious effort to build land and maritime trading routes across the globe.

Beijing’s release of the Arctic white paper in 2018, in which it referred to itself as a “near-Arctic state”, caused something of a sceptical stir in Washington, not for what it contained, but what it lacked: military ambition.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This is not happening in a vacuum. China's intentions toward the Arctic have been known for years .... China Wants To Lay Claim To The Arctic (April 5, 2014).

Top Russian Admiral Warns NATO Countries Risk War Over The Arctic

Vice admiral Alexander Moiseev, head of the Russian Northern Fleet, warned NATO countries to 'keep out' of Russia's 'polar backyard'

Daily Mail: Top Kremlin military commander warns war could break out with the West over the Arctic and tells NATO to 'keep out' of Russia's 'polar backyard'

* Head of Russian Northern Fleet has warned NATO countries risk war over Arctic
* Vice-Admiral Alexander said NATO should 'keep out' of mineral-rich polar areas
* Moiseev warned that Western military exercises in region had greatly increased
* It comes as Putin ordered reopening of military bases along Russia's Arctic coast

The risk of war in the Arctic involving Russia and NATO is rising, claimed a top Kremlin commander.

The chilling forecast came from hawkish head of the Russian Northern Fleet, Vice-Admiral Alexander Moiseev, warned NATO countries risk war over the Arctic, head of the Russian Northern Fleet.

He pointed to an alleged significant increase in NATO's presence in polar waters warning that military exercises by Britain and the US along with other Western countries have doubled in five years.

Read more ....

Update: Russia vs NATO Arctic war threat rising, says top Kremlin commander (Daily Star)

WNU Editor: IMHO Vice admiral Alexander Moiseev is one of the most hawkish commanders in the Russian military. His warnings (and threats) do not surprise me.

Can China Be Trusted In The Arctic?

China's icebreaker Xuelong docks at an ice covered area in the Antarctic during a 2014 expedition. [Photo/Sina Weibo]

Commander William Woityra, U.S. Coast Guard, US Naval Proceedings: China Can’t Be Trusted in the Arctic

Nearly 40 years ago, scientists sounded the alarm that emissions of industrial chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were eating a hole in the earth’s ozone layer, exposing the planet to harmful levels of radiation from space. The international community responded quickly to enact a ban on CFCs called the Montreal Protocol. It went into effect in 1989 and was universally ratified by 197 countries, including every member of the United Nations, as well as the European Union. It curbed emissions and was declared a major success.

However, in 2013, the trend turned around—slowly at first, but then faster. In June 2019, an international team of scientists published findings in Nature showing evidence that CFC-11 is being emitted by polluters in the Shandong and Hebei provinces in Northeastern China. When confronted by the EIA last year, 18 different Chinese companies made no effort to hide their use of CFCs, and the Chinese government appears to be willing to turn a blind eye to this illegal activity. Without domestic enforcement of the regulations in China, the accomplishments of the Montreal Protocol are in jeopardy.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The Danes have already red-flagged China's activities in the Arctic .... Denmark Has Put Greenland On The Top Of Its National Security Agenda (November 29, 2019). But this is old news. The Chinese made their intentions on what they want to do in the Arctic a long time ago .... China Wants To Exploit The Resources In The Arctic (July 24, 2014).

US Secretary of State Pompeo Warns China And Russia On Arctic

Reuters: Pompeo: Russia is "aggressive" in Arctic, China's work there also needs watching

ROVANIEMI, Finland (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday that Russia is behaving aggressively in the Arctic and China’s actions there had to be watched closely as well, amid growing divisions in the polar region over global warming and access to minerals.

Speaking as he arrived in northern Finland for a meeting of nations with territory in the Arctic, Pompeo said China appeared to have national security aims there, and Russia’s activities, including plans for new shipping channels from Asia to northern Europe, deserved a closer look.

Read more ....

More News On U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo Warning China And Russia On Arctic

US warns China, Russia against aggression in Arctic region -- AP
US to strengthen presence in Arctic amid tensions over environment, minerals and China push -- The Telegraph
Pompeo Issues Warning to China, Russia on Arctic -- The Wall Street Journal
Pompeo to label Arctic 'an arena of global power and competition': report -- The Hill
US Concerned About Russia's Claim to Northern Sea Route - Pompeo -- Sputnik
Hands off the Arctic: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warns China & Russia away from the north -- RT

Will China Send Subs To The Arctic

In this photo provided by China's Xinhua News Agency, Chinese icebreaker Xuelong, or Snow Dragon, is harboured in Shanghai, after an 85-day scientific quest across the Arctic Ocean, Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012. (Pei Xin/Xinhua News Agency/Associated Press)

CBC: Pentagon warns of risk of Chinese submarines in the Arctic

China has shown interest in the region for years and may be mapping submarine routes

China's growing involvement and interest in the Arctic could pave the way for a strengthened military presence in the region, including the deployment of submarines to act as deterrents against nuclear attack, the Pentagon said in a report released on Thursday.

The one-page assessment of the potential Chinese threat in the Arctic is included in the Pentagon's annual report to Congress on China's armed forces and comes amid growing interest within the U.S. military to beef up its own operations in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of the world.

The Pentagon's assessment notes that China has increased activities and engagement in the Arctic region since gaining observer status on the Arctic Council in 2013.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The Chinese are coming .... China Unveils It's 'Polar Silk Road' Ambitions For The Arctic (January 29, 2019).