BEIJING, July 23. /TASS/. Beijing denounces Washington's attempts to paint China-Russia cooperation in the Arctic in a negative light, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said.

"The United States’ distorted interpretation of China’s Arctic strategy and US criticism of China’s normal activities in the Arctic, which are carried out in compliance with international law, run counter to the interests of peace, stability and cooperation in the Arctic region. China strongly opposes this," she said at a briefing in response to a Western reporter’s request to comment on the Pentagon’s Arctic report, which says that China-Russia Arctic cooperation requires "a new strategic approach" from the US.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Beijing is consistently working to strengthen cooperation with all interested parties in the Arctic region, "committing to support peace and stability there and facilitate the region’s sustainable development." Mao specified that China was determined to abide by the principles of mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

According to the US Department of Defense’s updated Arctic Strategy, the region "is becoming a venue for strategic competition" amid a new geopolitical climate. The document specifically states that major geopolitical changes "are driving the need for this new strategic approach to the Arctic." According to the Pentagon, these changes include the Ukraine crisis, the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO and "increasing collaboration between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Russia.".