UK Defence Journal

By George Allison

13 September 2024

Source: https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/canada-eyes-aukus-membership-over-china-concerns/

Canada is actively engaging in discussions with the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States to join an expanded Aukus security partnership, citing rising concerns over China’s growing influence in the Asia Pacific region.

During a recent visit to Tokyo, Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair expressed Ottawa’s commitment to counteracting Beijing’s increasing military presence in the region.

Canada is particularly focused on participating in the second phase of Aukus, which aims to foster collaboration on cutting-edge military technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing. However, details of Canada’s role in this expansion remain unspecified.

“There have been important discussions about processes and platforms on a project-specific basis on where other nations, including Japan and ourselves, might participate,” Blair stated, during his meeting with Japanese Defence Minister Minoru Kihara.

Japan is also considering its own role within Aukus. Blair expressed optimism about these negotiations, saying, “I would respectfully wait until they’ve come to their determination, but I’m very optimistic.”

The current phase of Aukus, established in 2021, focuses on helping Australia acquire nuclear-powered attack submarines. Blair’s trip to Japan followed a visit to South Korea, which is similarly exploring the possibility of participating in the security partnership.

Canada’s defence responsibilities are expanding both at home and abroad, and Blair highlighted the government’s efforts to increase military spending. “Next year, my defence budget will rise by 27% over this year. And… in the next three or four years, our defence spending will triple,” he remarked.

Beyond Aukus discussions, Blair and Kihara also addressed recent incursions by China into Japanese waters, which led Tokyo to issue formal protests to Beijing.