Vice Admiral Andrew J. Tiongson, U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area Commander, has noted an increase in Chinese and Russian navy activity around Alaska and the northern Pacific. He emphasized that encounters with these ships have been professional and that they sometimes enter the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. The U.S. Coast Guard responds by establishing communication and shadowing these ships as they transit through the region. The Coast Guard exchanges information with the U.S. military and Canada, and all encounters with Russian or Chinese ships have been conducted in a professional manner.
Tiongson also addressed the ongoing confrontation between the Philippines and China around Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. He mentioned that the U.S. Coast Guard has not been asked to provide escort to Philippine vessels but has been advising and assisting in other ways. The assistance provided includes advising the Philippine coast guard and assisting in the development of their plans, but they do not physically accompany the vessels.
Overall, the U.S. Coast Guard is actively monitoring the increased activity of Chinese and Russian navy ships in the northern Pacific and Alaska region. They are taking measures to ensure the safe passage of these ships through the area and are also providing assistance to the Philippines in their standoff with China in the South China Sea.
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