Stories from the New Silk Road: The Bering Sea
The Documentary Podcast
BBC
4.3 • 2.7K Ratings
🗓️ 15 January 2026
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In 1867, the US government bought Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million dollars. At the time, critics questioned the value of purchasing such an inhospitable and remote territory. Yet today, due to its abundance of natural resources, America’s largest state has proved to be a significant investment. BBC foreign correspondent Anna Holligan travels to Alaska to report on the increasing China-Russia-US tension in the region. Supported by Russia, through fishing, shipping and military exercises, China has a growing presence in the Bering Sea, which separates mainland Russia from the US by 55 miles at its narrowest point. As Anna visits the largest Coast Guard base in the world on Alaska’s Kodiak Island, she asks why is China seeking to expand their influence in one of the most dangerous and volatile seas in the world?
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, music, radio podcasts. |
| 0:06.4 | Imagine having the Belt and Road initiative include Alaska. |
| 0:10.0 | One of the most strategic ports in the world. |
| 0:11.9 | Amen. |
| 0:12.4 | So we have a sense of urgency on this. |
| 0:17.0 | They see the Arctic opening up. |
| 0:18.6 | We see the Arctic opening up. |
| 0:19.8 | It's not a secret. |
| 0:20.7 | What we thought was Fortress America. I mean, that'd be Fortress America anymore. |
| 0:25.4 | And the soft spot may be in the Arctic. |
| 0:27.3 | Exactly. |
| 0:31.6 | In the Northern Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea separates mainland Russia from Alaska in the United States, |
| 0:42.2 | an important gateway to the Arctic, is one of the richest and most volatile seas in the world, |
| 0:49.7 | sitting precariously between two superpowers. |
| 0:55.9 | And yet this has not prevented China from increasing its presence and role in the region |
| 1:01.7 | while pursuing an ambitious Arctic policy connected to the Belt and Road Initiative |
| 1:07.1 | and centered around developing a polar Silk road. China's program to increase its |
| 1:13.4 | influence and create new Arctic shipping and trade routes. It's in our best interest to know |
| 1:19.5 | who's out there and what they're doing and why they're doing it. Think of the police of the |
| 1:24.3 | Bering Sea. A diplomatic row has erupted between the US and China after a balloon |
| 1:30.4 | was spotted at high altitude in the skies over America. Through joint military exercises with Russia, |
| 1:37.4 | fishing, shipping and scientific research, over recent years China has sought to explore new |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.

