The U.S. Coordinator for Arctic Affairs begins a visit to several Arctic countries on Tuesday (September 22, 2020). Curbing China’s malignant expansion in the Arctic is believed to be a key topic of the visit.
The U.S. State Department said in a statement that Arctic Coordinator James DeHart will visit Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark, as well as Denmark’s Greenland, between Sept. 22 and Oct. 12 to discuss with these partners how to balance security and safety, economic development, environmental protection and the well-being of indigenous communities. The statement said the focus of De Hart’s visit was to ensure a rules-based regional order in the Arctic and work toward a prosperous, secure, stable and conflict-free Arctic.
China claims to be a near-Arctic state and has been increasing its involvement in Arctic affairs. U.S. officials say China’s aggressive posture on matters such as the South China Sea has to raise alarms about its involvement in Arctic affairs.
DeHart said in August that China’s closest approach to the Arctic is 900 miles away, that it is not part of the Arctic, and that even Russia would not necessarily welcome a full-fledged role for China in Arctic affairs.
After former U.S. Coast Guard Commander Robert Piper stepped down as Special Representative for Arctic Affairs in 2017, the Trump administration has not appointed an official to replace him and has been criticized for its lack of interest in Arctic affairs. The United States only recently created the position of Coordinator for Arctic Affairs. This is believed to be related to the Trump administration’s attempts to curb China’s “undesirable expansion” in the Arctic and around the globe.
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