Chinese research ships that visit Australia under US surveillance

U.S. authorities are intensifying surveillance of two Chinese polar research vessels that make regular port calls in Australia. The monitoring targets "any detected malign activity" by the ships, Xue Long and Xue Long 2, which are operated by the Polar Research Institute of China (PRIC).

These icebreakers undertake missions in Antarctica and the Arctic. Over the past two years, they have docked in Hobart, Tasmania, four times after the state government invited PRIC to resupply its vessels. Previously, the ships used the Port of Fremantle in Western Australia for supplies.

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This operation is designed to protect American sovereign rights, ensure consistency with international law, and position the Coast Guard to rapidly respond to any detected malign activity.

Last week, as the ships transited north towards the Arctic, the U.S. Coast Guard announced it had been monitoring them as part of "Operation Frontier Sentinel." The operation aims to "protect American sovereign rights, ensure consistency with international law, and position the Coast Guard to rapidly respond to any detected malign activity." The Coast Guard confirmed tracking the vessels within the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and over the U.S. extended continental shelf in the Bering Sea.

While foreign vessels are permitted in these waters, the U.S. Coast Guard stated that conducting marine scientific research within the U.S. EEZ or on the extended continental shelf requires prior permission and data sharing. This increased scrutiny follows a similar watch last year when the Xue Long 2 was spotted off the Alaskan coast. The Canadian military also tracked the ship, noting that competitor nations are exploring Arctic waters and collecting intelligence using dual-purpose research vessels.

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In particular, conducting marine scientific research within the U.S. EEZ and/or on the U.S. extended continental shelf would require advance permission from the United States and subsequent sharing of information collected.