LatestU.S. officials say four Chinese research vessels operated near Alaska in 2026, with activities extending to the Aleutians, the Bering Strait, and toward the North Pole, raising concerns about sovereignty and potential access to seabed resources. Washington cites lack of advance notification and emphasizes the Arctic’s rapidly changing, higher-stakes environment as climate-driven sea-ice retreat expands shipping routes and strategic competition, including China’s “near-Arctic” ambitions and Polar Silk Road.6d