Unwarranted fear-mongering, speculation about the Arctic

Judged solely from the "desired end-state" the United States Defense Department portrayed in its just updated Arctic Strategy, there is nothing wrong with that policy blueprint.

After all, as an Arctic nation, the US has every reason to want the polar area to be "a secure and stable region in which US national security interests are safeguarded, the US homeland is defended". It sounds even more pleasant to the ear that it wants the Arctic to be a place where "nations work cooperatively to address shared challenges".

If that is all Washington aspires for in the Arctic, it will find a great partner in Beijing, which has put forward an Arctic policy based on the principles of "respect, cooperation, win-win outcomes, and sustainability". Nations working cooperatively to address shared challenges sounds sufficiently similar to Beijing's proposal for countries to work together to build a community of shared future for mankind.