China’s Coast Guard claimed it entered waters of the Arctic Ocean for the first time as part of a joint patrol with Russia – in the latest sign of enhanced coordination between the two in a region where Beijing has long wished to expand its footprint.

Joly met last weekend with her counterparts from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden in Iqaluit, the capital of Canada’s northern territory of Nunavut. They agreed to explore ways to create a so-called “Arctic security dialogue” or a new forum to discuss defence matters, Joly said.

Canada is working with Nordic countries to create a new Arctic security coalition that would exclude Russia and offer a place to coordinate on defense, intelligence and cyber threats.

The United States Coast Guard encountered four vessels from the Russian and Chinese counterparts near Alaska on Saturday as they transited toward the Arctic Ocean for patrols. A U.S. Coast Guard HC-130J long-range surveillance aircraft spotted two Russian border guard ships and two Chinese coast guard ships approximately 440 miles southwest of St.

China said its Coast Guard vessels entered the Arctic Ocean for the first time, patroling the waters jointly with Russian ships on a mission that underscored the growing cooperation between Beijing and Moscow in the region.