Earlier this month, the US Coast Guard monitored the Chinese research ship Xue Long, which transited north through the US exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and over the US extended continental shelf in the Bering Sea with a declared destination of the Arctic, and Xue Long 2, another China-flagged research vessel transiting to the Arctic.
The coast guard said that, for the first time this year, Chinese vessels were tracked transiting through the US EEZ and over the US extended continental shelf (i.e., continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles of shore) in the Bering Sea.
In response, the US Coast Guard national security cutter USCGC Munro executed Operation Frontier Sentinel to actively monitor the vessels during their northbound transit.
This operation is designed to protect American sovereign rights, ensure consistency with international law, and position the coast guard to rapidly respond to any detected malign activity.
While foreign vessels are permitted to operate within the US EEZ and over the US extended continental shelf in accordance with international law, the US Coast Guard remains vigilant to ensure their activities comply with established international law. In particular, conducting marine scientific research within the US EEZ and/or on the US extended continental shelf would require advance permission from the United States and subsequent sharing of information collected.
In recent years, the US Coast Guard has observed heightened activity in the US Arctic and anticipates continued and increased presence in the region this summer.
