A Chinese Research Vessel Popped Into Alaskan Waters — Should We Be Concerned?

Every once in a while, China likes to send over a strange little reminder that it's maybe keeping an eye on the United States. Back in February 2023, a Chinese spy balloon was shot down by a U.S. fighter jet off the coast of South Carolina, per CBS News. The balloon was roughly the size of the Statue of Liberty and contained equipment that could be used for surveillance. The Chinese government later claimed it was a weather balloon.

Nearly three years later, China was back on its you know what, but this time the stakes were a bit higher. CBS News reported that a research vessel was detected off the coast of Alaska, China's favorite sneaky entry point into the United States. Perhaps this is simply a Chinese weather research ship. What's going on this time, and should we be worried? Read on for more details.

We'd love to find a man who looks at us the way China looks at the United States, by air and by sea. On July 25, 2025, the United States Coast Guard spotted a Chinese research vessel about 290 nautical miles north of Utqiagvik, Alaska, in the North American Arctic. The Xue Long 2, an icebreaker, is operated by China's Polar Research Institute. For those who don't know, an icebreaker is specifically designed to operate in icy waters.

According to the State Department, the Xue Long 2 was 130 nautical miles inside the U.S.'s Extended Continental Shelf, or ECS. "The U.S. has exclusive rights to conserve and manage the living and non-living resources of its ECS," said the Coast Guard in a press release.

The United States Coast Guard "vigilantly monitors and responds to foreign government vessel activity in and near U.S. waters to secure territorial integrity and defend sovereign interests against malign state activity," said Rear Adm. Bob Little, Commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Arctic District. As such, a long-range surveillance aircraft responded to the Xue Long 2.

It's not uncommon for Chinese vessels to appear near Alaska because China has declared itself a "near-Arctic state," reports Newsweek. This means it fancies itself a bit of an "important stakeholder" in all things Arctic. Incidentally, this region is surrounded by NATO members and Russia, which can be a little nerve-racking for America.

In an effort to conduct more research, China frequently deploys ships that may contain military applications. Therein lies the problem. China has also been cozying up to Russia, which is a bit alarming for the United States. This means these research missions have an added layer of concern. Regarding this latest adventure, Canada and the United States are monitoring the efforts of the Xue Long 2.