U.S. Coast Guard Tracks Chinese Icebreakers as They Transit U.S. Arctic Waters

The U.S. Coast Guard says it is monitoring two Chinese research icebreakers as they transit north through the Bering Sea toward the Arctic, marking the first Chinese vessel movements through the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and extended continental shelf this year.

The Coast Guard said Friday that the Chinese research vessel Xue Long transited through the U.S. EEZ and over the U.S. extended continental shelf in the Bering Sea en route to the Arctic. A second Chinese icebreaker, Xue Long 2, is also heading north.

The Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL-755) was deployed under Operation Frontier Sentinel to monitor the vessels during their transit.

The operation is