Beijing and Moscow have hit out at claims from the United States that growing cooperation between China and Russia in the Arctic could threaten regional stability.

Responding to a strategy report from the US Department of Defense, the pair hit back on Tuesday at the criticism of their actions in the Arctic, which Washington framed as being driven by geopolitical developments. With global warming shrinking ice coverage in the Arctic, offering increased access to shipping and fossil fuels, the polar region is viewed as increasingly strategic.

Russia and China have been working together to develop Arctic shipping routes as Moscow seeks to deliver more oil and gas to China amid Western sanctions while Beijing seeks an alternative shipping route to reduce its dependence on the Strait of Malacca.