The United States responded assertively to a joint naval exercise conducted by China and Russia near the coast of Alaska last week, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The report states that eleven Russian and Chinese ships approached the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska, but did not enter US waters.

This move has been described as highly provocative by Brent Sadler, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation. The US, in response, deployed four destroyers and P-8 Poseidon aircraft to monitor the situation. The US Northern Command released a statement asserting that the patrol remained in international waters and was not considered a threat.

However, Alaska's senators, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, emphasized the significance of their state's strategic location in safeguarding national defense and sovereignty. They called for a greater presence of naval, coast guard, and marine corps in Alaska, as tensions with Russia and China continue to rise.

China's Embassy in Washington responded to the incident, stating that the joint patrol was part of an annual cooperation plan and not targeted at any third party. They reaffirmed that it had nothing to do with the current international and regional situation. China and Russia have been strengthening their ties amid ongoing tensions with the US over Taiwan and Ukraine.

The joint naval exercise near Alaska serves as a reminder of the increasing cooperation between China and Russia in the military realm. It also highlights the close proximity of these countries to Alaska, a key location for the defense and territorial sovereignty of the United States. The strained relations between the US and Russia and China further contribute to the heightened significance of this event.