What are Russia and China signalling in the Bering Sea?
Nov 29, 2025·
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1 min read
Erdem Lamazhapov
Andreas Østhagen
Photo: China Coast GuardHappy to share an article Andreas Østhagen and I have written in the latest Arctic Yearbook. Many thanks to editors Justin Barnes, Lassi Heininen and Heather Exner-Pirot, as well as the anonymous reviewers, whose thoughtful feedback strengthened the piece.
Read the full article: China, Russia, and the U.S. in the Bering Sea: Military Exercises and Great Power Politics, Arctic Yearbook 2025. The slides are also available as a PDF.
What are Russia and China signalling in the Bering Sea?
Since 2022, Russia and China have sharply increased joint naval, air, and coast guard exercises in the North Pacific. 
Exercises are signalling tools: they serve symbolic as well as material purposes, convey intentions, commitments or warnings, and are public, intentional, and sometimes costly. 
Russia signals its great-power status, willingness to counter U.S./NATO operations, and desire to maintain relevance in the Arctic after its isolation post-Ukraine. 
China signals its status as a maritime great power with far-sea operational capabilities, pushback against U.S. island chain containment, and desire to avoid being excluded from the Arctic. 
Read the full article: Lamazhapov, E. & Østhagen, A. (2025). China, Russia, and the U.S. in the Bering Sea. Arctic Yearbook 2025.
