SpaceWar.com reports: “Russia and China on Tuesday pushed back against a US warning over their increasing military and economic cooperation in the Arctic, where climate change is opening up greater competition.

Russia has in recent years beefed up its military presence in the Arctic by reopening and modernizing several bases and airfields abandoned since the end of the Soviet era, while China has poured money into polar exploration and research.

‘We’ve seen growing cooperation between the PRC and Russia in the Arctic commercially, with the PRC being a major funder of Russian energy exploitation in the Arctic,’ Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks told journalists Monday, using an abbreviation for the People’s Republic of China…

China and Russia both defended their policies in the region on Tuesday.

Beijing said it acts on the ‘principles of respect, cooperation, mutual wins and sustainability’, adding it was ‘committed to maintaining peace and stability’ in the region.

‘The United States distorts China’s Arctic policy and makes thoughtless remarks on China’s normal Arctic activities (which are) in accordance with international law,’ foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia ‘does its part to ensure that the Arctic does not become a territory of discord and tension.’

He told reporters that Russia’s cooperation with China ‘contributes to an atmosphere of stability and predictability’ in the Arctic and their actions were not targeted against other countries…”