Canadian warship shadowed Chinese vessel off Alaska last month, National Defence says

A Chinese polar research vessel was shadowed by a Canadian warship in the Bering Strait off Alaska a few weeks ago, the Department of National Defence (DND) belatedly acknowledged Wednesday.

In a statement issued to multiple media organizations, the department said that the frigate HMCS Regina, which has since returned to its home port of Esquimalt, B.C., encountered the research vessel Xue Long (Snow Dragon) 2 as it transited the strait.

A statement from the department said both the frigate and its CH-148 Cyclone helicopter had safe and professional interactions with the Chinese vessel, which is believed to still be somewhere in the Far North.

The polar research ship was in the region as a U.S. Coast Guard cutter encountered a four-warship Chinese task force within the exclusive economic zone of the United States.

«The Chinese naval task group had no encounters with HMCS Regina,» said DND spokesperson Frederica Dupuis. «To maintain the security of our missions and personnel, we will not disclose further specific operational details.»

In a statement issued last month, the U.S. Coast Guard said it monitored the Chinese task force until it crossed back into the Pacific Ocean south of the Aleutian Islands.

HMCS Regina deployed on 'short notice'

Online vessel-tracking websites suggest HMCS Regina turned off its location transponder on July 13 upon entering the Bering Sea. The warship did not reappear until four days later, when it was spotted in the Arctic.

Similarly, online aircraft spotters suggest the Chinese research ship is being monitored by a Canadian CP-140 Aurora. The maritime patrol aircraft is flying missions out of Anchorage, Alaska to the region where Xue Long 2 has been operating.

According to a navy social media post,