Chinese and Russian coastguard chiefs call for more cooperation on ‘far seas’

Talks in Beijing follow joint patrols in Arctic and northern Pacific oceans last month

Reading Time:2 minutes

China’s coastguard entered the Arctic Ocean for the first time last month during a joint patrol with Russia. Photo: Weibo/央视军事

Published: 5:18pm, 25 Oct 2024

The Chinese and Russian coastguards have pledged to coordinate more on “far seas” following their joint patrols in the Arctic and northern Pacific oceans last month.

Meeting in Beijing on Monday, Chinese coastguard chief Major General Yu Zhong and Admiral Roman Tolok, head of Russia’s coastguard, called for deeper “pragmatic maritime cooperation”, according to a readout posted on the Chinese coastguard’s social media account on Thursday.

They also vowed to improve “joint long-distance operations” between the two coastguards in the “far seas”, and to “actively contribute to consolidating and developing the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Russia in the new era”.

It was the second meeting between the Chinese and Russian coastguards since April last year, when a memorandum of understanding was signed on strengthening maritime law enforcement cooperation.

The coastguard chiefs on Monday also praised their first joint exercise and patrol in the Arctic – where China and Russia share mutual interests in shipping routes – and pledged to maintain maritime security and stability.

In September, the Chinese coastguard sent its Meishan and Xiushan ships to the Peter the Great Gulf in the Sea of Japan, or East Sea, where they took part in drills with the Russian coastguard. They were put through their paces on maritime law enforcement security threats, intercepting suspected criminal ships, sea rescues and firefighting.