NATO admiral warns of Chinese, Russian threat in Arctic

Adm. Rob Bauer, chair of NATO’s military committee, recently warned an Arctic gathering of increasing cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and Russia in the region. NATO

THE WATCH STAFF

NATO’s senior military official is concerned that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) will try to convert its current shipping through Russia’s Northern Sea Route into a military presence in the Arctic.

“We know there are military scientists on board these ships,” Adm. Rob Bauer, who chairs NATO’s military committee, told Bloomberg News on 21 October 2023. “They haven’t said they won’t go there militarily.”

The PRC and Russia have grown closer politically and strengthened military ties, including joint naval patrols in the Arctic region. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the PRC has bought large amounts of Russian crude oil, shipped through Arctic waters.

Bauer’s remarks followed a speech at the Arctic Circle Assembly conference in Reykjavik, Iceland, during which he raised concern about stronger PRC-Russia ties.

“China’s intentions for the region remain opaque,” Bauer told the audience.

Gao Feng, the PRC’s special representative for Arctic affairs, told the same audience that the PRC has an important role to play in the Arctic, but didn’t directly address Bauer’s comments.

The recent voyage of a PRC container ship through the Northern Sea Route from the Baltic Sea to China shouldn’t be misread, Bauer said.

“We cannot be naive and expect these new routes to solely be used by commercial vessels,” Bauer said at the conference.

Russia has been investing heavily in Arctic air bases and other infrastructure. While budgetary restrictions related to the war in Ukraine have delayed the delivery of new icebreakers, its substantial air and naval assets in the Arctic remain intact, Bauer told Bloomberg.

NATO must be prepared for conflict in the region given Russia’s ability to operate in the Arctic, Bauer told the conference. Even so, NATO isn’t worried about the Arctic becoming a hotspot “immediately.”