US announced to increase investment in Arctic security in order to compete with Russia

Local time on the 1st White House announced that the US will increase investment in Arctic security, build more icebreakers, Arctic part of the region started to draw new charts, to enhance port capacity. US media that the US move is intended to compete with Russia in the Arctic strategic investment.

US President Barack Obama is on a three-day Alaska visit, he is the first visit of the US president in the Arctic. Because the Arctic is rich in energy and mineral reserves, combined with a special strategic position, the visit of concern.

The White House said in a statement the same day, climate change is causing a profound impact on the Arctic environment, Arctic ice melts to tourism, shipping, mineral development and fisheries bring more development opportunities, increased human activity has intensified the risk of environmental degradation.

The White House said Obama will announce investment to increase security in the Arctic during the visit, to ensure that the United States in the Arctic Ocean to maintain "full-year" normal operation. After World War II the United States a total of seven icebreakers, of which four belong to the Navy, three belong to the Coast Guard, but then continued to shrink preparation, there are currently three icebreaker, taking into account the service life of the issue, only two can be fully operational, including ship It is a heavy icebreaker. In contrast, a total of 40 Russian icebreakers, and another 11 are planning and construction. To this end, the US decided to replace heavy icebreaker schedules in advance from 2022 to 2020, while the request for congressional appropriations to build more icebreakers, while protecting natural resources to meet national security needs.

Obama also announced that due to global warming will lead to a significant increase in Arctic shipping traffic, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will work to map the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort newly open waters with the Coast Guard, now these map region either do not exist or are obsolete. In addition, the United States in the north of Alaska, Netherlands and Hong Kong is no deep-water port, since February this year, the US Army Corps of Engineers began evaluating Nome harbor deepening and expansion of the port function, the port project will improve the ability to cope with the arctic weather and asylum passing ships.

US media believes that the current Arctic countries are facing new environmental, economic and geopolitical realities, the United States has lagged behind investment in Arctic Russia, the White House announced that the initiative aims to narrow the gap with Russia.

At the same time, Obama also continue to promote the political legacy of climate change. He called on countries to cooperation on climate change, contribute to the success of the climate conference in Paris on August 31 at the North Pole Global Leadership Conference. Obama on the 1st also with renowned explorer Bear Grylls recorded together the ultimate challenge reality show "off-road survival", to encourage more people concerned about climate change.

On the other hand, Obama cautiously allow the waters around the Arctic oil and gas development, the Shell Group has approved oil drilling in the Chukchi Sea, in the region of up to 150 billion barrels of oil reserves. Alaska local politicians and many enterprises want Obama to allow the state to develop more oil and gas resources, balancing a huge budget deficit, improve local living standards.