Canada eyes larger defence role in Indo-Pacific

Royal Canadian Navy frigates, including the HMCS Vancouver , have participated in a multinational effort to monitor North Korea's evasion of UN Security Council sanctions. (US Navy)

Canada plans to bolster its military presence and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region amid growing threats from China and North Korea, according to Canadian Minister of National Defence Anita Anand.

The Canadian government will “soon” release a “comprehensive” Indo-Pacific strategy to “position Canada as a leader in promoting peace and security in the region”, Anand told the Halifax International Security Forum in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 18 November.

Canada's existing military activities in the Indo-Pacific region include deploying Royal Canadian Navy frigates as part of a multinational effort to monitor North Korea's evasion of UN Security Council sanctions. Anand called North Korea's recent barrage of missile tests “unacceptable” and “reckless”.

Anand also indicated at the Halifax forum that her government continues to work on the defence policy review it announced in April. The review is supposed to determine whether the Canadian Armed Forces are adequately sized, equipped, and funded in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

“The global security environment has changed so much” since the current defence policy, titled “Strong, Secure, Engaged”, was released in 2017, Anand said. “We need to update it.”

Anand said that Canada will continue supporting Ukraine “for however long it takes”. Canada announced on 14 November that it will provide CAD500 million (USD373 million) in additional military aid to the war-torn country, boosting its total commitment of such assistance to more than CAD1 billion since February.