As China's investments and involvement north of the Arctic Circle rise, so has the opposition from the United States. On May 6 at a session of the eight-member Arctic Council in Rovaniemi, Finland, U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo delivered blunt and blistering criticism of China's plans to increase its role in the Arctic region. "We need to examine these activities closely," said Pompeo, warning against "a permanent Chinese security presence" in the Arctic and "China's pattern of aggressive behavior elsewhere."
