2026年8月20日 美国东部时间下午2:22 / 福克斯新闻
一份国会报告称，俄罗斯的孤立处境迫使它接受中国在北极地区更大规模的存在
作者：埃弗拉特·拉赫特 福克斯新闻
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中国正在试探能否将世界之巅打造成新的战略贸易通道，通过俄罗斯北极航线开通定期季节性集装箱中欧班列，与此同时，北京与莫斯科正在该地区深化商业和军事存在，而华盛顿愈发将这片区域视为美国国家安全的关键所在。
这项服务的规模仍然有限，本季度仅计划执行约8个航次，但中国问题专家高登·张在接受福克斯新闻数字频道采访时表示，其意义远超当前运输的集装箱数量。
“出于多种原因，中国正在北极地区推进重大战略布局，”高登·张在采访中说道，“北极海冰正在融化，这意味着沿着俄罗斯北海岸航行的东北航道在夏季至少有几个月具备通航可行性。”
特朗普政府特使警告：中国在海上的权力举动是“我们不容忽视”的威胁
据《中国日报》8月17日报道，“海传奇航运”旗下的“迪拜塔”号货轮于8月15日从宁波舟山港出发，计划经俄罗斯东北航道前往欧洲，最终抵达英国费利克斯托港，航程预计耗时约20天。
此时正值美国国会新成立的一个委员会发布员工报告，警告称俄罗斯日益孤立且对北京的依赖度上升，这正赋予中国更大的话语权——包括进入北极地区的更多机会。
高登·张警告称，美国需要强化在该地区的实际存在以应对局势。“我们必须介入北极事务，特朗普总统已经批准建造更多破冰船，”他告诉福克斯新闻数字频道，“我们在这方面的能力严重不足。”
蒂姆·希伊揭露“令人不安”的造船业崩盘，令美国容易受到中国威胁
一名白宫官员在背景匿名接受采访时对福克斯新闻数字频道表示：“北极地区对美国国家安全和经济至关重要。作为北极国家，美国将追求自身的安全和经济利益，并在面对中国和俄罗斯日益加剧的竞争时，确保该地区的安全、稳定与繁荣。”
美国美中经济与安全评估委员会的工作人员于8月20日发布的一份情况说明书指出，俄罗斯入侵乌克兰以及随后遭到西方的经济孤立，“迫使俄罗斯接受中国在北极地区更大规模的存在”，而这片区域历来被莫斯科视为其主权和国家安全的核心地带。
中国正在建造一艘令美国人对未来感到担忧的巨型船只
该报告称，中国国有企业目前在受到美国和欧盟制裁的北极LNG 2项目中合计持有20%的股份，同时中俄两国正在东北航道开发全年通航的商业航运业务。两国还成立了一家合资企业，制造冰级集装箱船，首艘船只计划于2027年投入使用。
美国国防部2024年北极战略报告同样指出，气候变化正在提升该地区的通航便利性，而中国正寻求在该地区获得更大的影响力和准入机会。该报告将北京提出的“极地丝绸之路”视为其在北极地区进行基础设施和自然资源投资的载体，并警告中俄两国日益紧密的合作可能“‘改变北极地区的稳定与安全局势’”。
对于中欧贸易而言，东北航道与传统西向航线（途经马六甲海峡、印度洋、曼德海峡、红海和苏伊士运河）截然不同。
“这当然避开了马六甲海峡、曼德海峡、苏伊士运河、直布罗陀海峡等一些咽喉要道，”高登·张说，“因此这对中国而言意义重大。”
美国美中经济与安全评估委员会的最新报告指出，中俄之间的不对称关系正让中国日益受益，莫斯科对北京的需求超过了北京对莫斯科的需求。报告称，自2022年俄乌冲突爆发以来，中国已成为俄罗斯不可或缺的合作伙伴，这让北京获得了越来越大的话语权，可以以折扣价格获取能源，并有更多机会接触俄罗斯军事技术，同时无需承担正式同盟的义务。
能源是这种不对等关系的重要组成部分。根据报告，中国约占俄罗斯原油出口总量的一半，而俄罗斯原油仅占中国原油进口总量的五分之一左右。报告称，自俄乌冲突爆发以来，中国已购买了价值约3720亿美元的俄罗斯化石燃料。
乌克兰打击黑海舰队的“最后主要据点”，同时普京在太平洋展示海军实力
莫斯科如今正越来越积极地利用同一条北极航道向东运输石油。
路透社8月11日报道称，本季度截至目前，俄罗斯已通过东北航道向亚洲运送了7批原油，总吨位约600万桶，几乎是2025年整个季度运输量的一半。据路透社报道，中国是这些原油 shipments的主要目的地。
北极地区活动日益增多之际，华盛顿对中俄在阿拉斯加附近的合作愈发担忧。
高登·张指出，分隔俄罗斯与阿拉斯加的白令海峡是这条北极航线的战略弱点。
中国、俄罗斯、伊朗和朝鲜组成“侵略轴心”，可能压垮美国，新书警告
“不过有一个咽喉要道值得关注，”他说，“船只必须在西侧的俄罗斯和东侧我们的第49个州之间穿行。这让美国在此处拥有一定的话语权。”
两国的军事合作也在扩大。美国美中经济与安全评估委员会的最新情况说明书指出，截至2026年4月，中俄两国已至少联合举办了119次军事演习，而7月份的联合海军行动包括潜艇、反潜和无人机演练。报告还提到，在2024年中俄轰炸机联合巡逻期间，中国轰炸机首次进入阿拉斯加防空识别区。
在高登·张看来，问题的关键不止在于东北航道本身是否会成为苏伊士运河的竞争对手。
“一些美国国家安全战略家会说，‘哦，北极地区不过是个干扰项，世界上还有更重要的地方’，”高登·张说。
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“但更重要的是，无论人们如何看待北极地区的重要性，中国和俄罗斯都正在北极向我们施压，”他补充道，“因此我们别无选择，只能做出回应。无论我们认为北极是否具有战略意义，中国和俄罗斯都已大量进驻该地区。我们也必须在那里存在。”
福克斯新闻数字频道已联系中国和俄罗斯驻华盛顿大使馆以及白宫请求置评。
埃弗拉特（埃菲）·拉赫特是福克斯新闻数字频道的记者，拥有超过15年的冲突、全球事务、人权和政治问责报道经验。她曾执导并制作了200多段纪录片片段，足迹遍布40多个国家，记录冲突、人道主义危机、腐败、人口贩运、基于性别的暴力以及重大世界事件背后的人文故事。
拉赫特的报道带她进入中东、欧洲、亚洲和非洲的冲突地区和危机地带。她的工作包括揭露人口贩运网络、揭露叙利亚境内的ISIS地下酷刑监狱、记录乌克兰战争以及采访高级政治人物和世界各国领导人。她也是俄乌冲突爆发后进入俄罗斯的西方记者之一，带回了普京反对派的证词。拉赫特曾获得2022年佩雷斯和平中心奖，并曾担任2023-2024年密歇根大学奈特-华莱士新闻奖学金获得者。她还曾两次获得洛克沃优秀报道奖。她拥有传播学学士学位和政治学硕士学位。
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403766421112
Arctic power play gives top US adversary new opening with Russia as US stakes grow
August 20, 2026 2:22pm EDT / Fox News
A congressional report says Russia’s isolation has compelled it to accept greater Chinese presence in the Arctic
By Efrat Lachter Fox News
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China is testing whether the top of the world can become a new strategic trade corridor, launching regular seasonal container service to Europe through Russia’s Arctic as Beijing and Moscow deepen their commercial and military footprint in a region Washington increasingly views as critical to U.S. security.
The service remains limited in scale, with just over eight voyages planned this season, but China analyst Gordon Chang told Fox News Digital that its significance goes beyond the number of containers currently making the journey.
“China has a major strategic push on the Arctic for various reasons,” Chang said in an interview. “Arctic ice is melting, and this means that the Northern Sea Route, which hugs Russia’s north coast, does become viable at least for a few months in the summer.”
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A Russian vessel navigates Arctic waters along the Northern Sea Route, which stretches across Russia’s northern coastline and links European and Asian shipping lanes.(East2West news)
Sea Legend Shipping’s Dubai Tower departed Ningbo-Zhoushan Port on Aug. 15 for Europe via Russia’s Northern Sea Route, with the journey to Felixstowe, England, scheduled to take about 20 days, according to China Daily on Aug. 17.
The move comes as a new U.S. congressional commission staff report warns that Russia’s increasing isolation and dependence on Beijing are giving China greater leverage — including greater access to the Arctic.
Chang warned that Washington needs a stronger physical presence in response. “We need to be in the Arctic, and President Trump has authorized more icebreakers,” he told Fox News Digital. “We are woefully short in that department.”
TIM SHEEHY EXPOSES A ‘SCARY’ SHIPBUILDING COLLAPSE THAT LEAVES THE US VULNERABLE TO CHINA
A banner reading “Warmly Congratulate the first annual voyage of the China-Europe Arctic Container Route at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in 2026,” is displayed on a container at the Ningbo-Zhoushan port in Ningbo, China, on Aug. 15, 2026.(CN-STR/AFP via Getty Images)
A White House official told Fox News Digital on background, “The Arctic is a critical region for U.S. national security and the economy. As an Arctic nation, the United States will pursue its security and economic interests and ensure safety, stability, and prosperity in the face of growing competition from China and Russia.”
A fact sheet released Aug. 20 by staff of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent economic isolation from the West have “compelled Russia to accept a greater Chinese presence in the Arctic,” a region Moscow has traditionally regarded as central to its sovereignty and national security.
CHINA IS BUILDING A MASSIVE SHIP THAT SHOULD SCARE AMERICANS ABOUT THE FUTURE
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping toast at the Kremlin in Moscow, March 21, 2023.(Pavel Byrkin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
The report said Chinese state-owned enterprises now hold a combined 20% stake in the U.S.- and EU-sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project, while China and Russia are developing year-round commercial shipping along the Northern Sea Route. The two countries have also established a joint venture to manufacture ice-class container vessels, with the first ship planned to enter service in 2027.
The Pentagon’s 2024 Arctic Strategy similarly said changing climate conditions are increasing accessibility in the region while China seeks greater influence and access there. The strategy identified Beijing’s proposed “Polar Silk Road” as a vehicle for infrastructure and natural-resource investments in the Arctic and warned that growing cooperation between China and Russia could “‘alter the Arctic’s stability and threat picture.’”
For China-Europe commerce, the Northern Sea Route offers a radically different path from the traditional westbound journey through the Strait of Malacca, Indian Ocean, Bab el-Mandeb, Red Sea and Suez Canal.
“This of course avoids some choke points, like the Strait of Malacca, the Bab el-Mandeb, the Suez Canal, the Strait of Gibraltar,” Chang said. “So this is important for China.”
The new USCC report argues that China is increasingly benefiting from an asymmetric relationship in which Moscow needs Beijing more than Beijing needs Moscow. It says China has become indispensable to Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, giving Beijing growing leverage to obtain discounted energy and greater access to Russian military technology while avoiding the obligations of a formal alliance.
Energy is a major part of that imbalance. According to the report, China accounts for roughly half of Russia’s crude oil exports, while Russian crude represents only about one-fifth of China’s oil imports. The report says China has purchased approximately $372 billion in Russian fossil fuels since the invasion of Ukraine.
UKRAINE POUNDS BLACK SEA FLEET’S ‘LAST MAJOR STRONGHOLD’ WHILE PUTIN FLEXES NAVAL POWER IN PACIFIC
The nuclear icebreaker Yakutia entes the Gulf of Finland for sea trials in St. Petersburg. With the capability to break through ice up to three meters thick, it plays a critical role in Russia’s Arctic strategy.(Artem Priakhin/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Moscow is now making increasingly aggressive use of the same Arctic passage to move oil east.
Reuters reported Aug. 11 that Russia had sent seven crude shipments totaling roughly 6 million barrels toward Asia through the Northern Sea Route so far this season, nearly half the amount transported during the entire 2025 season. China is the principal destination for those shipments, according to Reuters.
The growing Arctic activity comes as Washington has become increasingly concerned about Chinese and Russian cooperation close to Alaska.
Chang pointed to the Bering Strait — separating Russia from Alaska — as a strategic vulnerability even on the Arctic route.
CHINA, RUSSIA, IRAN AND NORTH KOREA FORM ‘AXIS OF AGGRESSORS’ THAT COULD OVERWHELM US, BOOK WARNS
The Russian Aframax tanker Ligovsky Prospect navigates waters along Russia’s Northern Sea Route.(Marinetraffic/east2west)
“There is one choke point though, which is of interest,” he said. “You have to go between Russia on the west and our 49th state on the east. And that gives the U.S. some leverage over here.”
The military relationship is also expanding. The new USCC fact sheet says China and Russia had participated in at least 119 combined military exercises as of April 2026, while their joint naval operations in July included submarine, anti-submarine and drone activity. It also noted that Chinese bombers entered the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone for the first time during a joint China-Russia bomber patrol in 2024.
For Chang, the issue extends beyond whether the Northern Sea Route itself ever becomes a competitor to Suez.
“There are some U.S. national security strategists who say, ‘Oh, the Arctic is a distraction. There are more important places in the world,’” Chang said.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, with their delegations, hold talks at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, Oct. 18, 2023.(Sputnik/Sergei Guneev/Pool via Reuters)
“But even more important, regardless of what one thinks of the importance of the Arctic, the Chinese and the Russians are pressing us in the Arctic,” he added. “So we’ve got no choice to respond. Whether we think the Arctic is strategic or not, the Chinese and Russians are there in force. We have to be there too.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Chinese and Russian embassies in Washington and the White House for comment.
Efrat (Effie) Lachter is a reporter for Fox News Digital with more than 15 years of experience covering conflict, global affairs, human rights and political accountability.She has directed and produced more than 200 documentary segments across more than 40 countries, documenting conflicts, humanitarian crises, corruption, human trafficking, gender-based violence and the human stories behind major world events.
Lachter’s reporting has taken her into conflict zones and crisis areas across the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Africa. Her work has included uncovering human trafficking networks, revealing an ISIS underground torture prison in Syria, documenting the war in Ukraine and interviewing senior political figures and world leaders. She was also among the Western journalists who entered Russia after the war began to bring testimonies from Putin’s opposition. Lachter is the recipient of the 2022 Peres Center for Peace Award and was a 2023–2024 Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow at the University of Michigan. She also won two Rockower Awards for Excellence in Reporting. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and a master’s degree in political science.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403766421112