The U.S. Coast Guard is closely monitoring a noticeable rise in naval activity from both China and Russia around Alaska and the northern Pacific. Vice Admiral Andrew J. Tiongson, Commander of the Coast Guard’s Pacific Area, reported on Friday that, while these encounters have been professional, the situation warrants attention.
Increased Russian and Chinese Naval Presence
During a recent call with reporters while visiting Japan, Tiongson highlighted the maritime boundary that exists between Alaska and Russia. “Russian naval vessels, certainly we’ve seen an uptick in their presence in that particular region. And then what we also see is an uptick in PLAN, the PRC Navy, and the Russian navy working together in that region,” he explained.
He added that this trend of increased naval operations has been observed over the past couple of years.
Monitoring the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone
Tiongson noted that these vessels occasionally enter the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). In response, the Coast Guard employs a strategy of “meeting presence with presence.” He stated, “So when they go out there, we ensure they know that we are there, we establish communications. Sometimes they tell us that they’re just transiting through and they’ll be out of our EEZ very soon, and other times we sit and we watch and shadow them as they go forth.”
The U.S. Coast Guard maintains communication with both U.S. military forces and Canadian authorities, emphasizing that interactions with Russian and Chinese vessels have thus far remained professional.
Support for the Philippines in the South China Sea
Tiongson also addressed the situation in the South China Sea, particularly regarding the Philippines and China’s ongoing confrontations near Second Thomas Shoal. He remarked that the U.S. Coast Guard has not been asked to escort Philippine vessels in the area, but has been providing support in other capacities.
“When I say advise and assist, we provide to the Philippine Coast Guard and to others is what we would do in this situation. And we assist them in coming up with some of their plans, but we do not accompany,” he clarified.
(Includes inputs from online sources)
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