Two Chinese research vessels recently entered the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) off Alaska, prompting the U.S. Coast Guard to deploy icebreaker USCGC Healy to monitor and shadow the ships. The vessels, Zhong Shan Da Xue Ji Di and the newer Jidi, operate under Sun Yat-sen University and China’s State Oceanic Administration, respectively.
While international law allows foreign vessels to pass through ECS waters, conducting scientific research or seabed mapping requires consent from the coastal state. The U.S. has not ratified UNCLOS but asserts ECS rights under customary international law. The Coast Guard’s monitoring aims to ensure no unauthorized research or resource activity occurs, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Experts say China’s Arctic research activity is part of a deliberate strategy to project power, gather intelligence, and challenge U.S. sovereignty. Rear Adm. Bob Little of the Coast Guard Arctic District emphasized that operations like these underscore the critical need for ice-capable vessels to secure and defend America’s northern maritime borders.
