Justin Trudeau declined to say whether Canada was invited to join AUKUS.
As the US, UK and Australia move forward on an expanded military pact, experts warn that Canada’s absence from the group points to a bigger problem in how the country is perceived by its friends.
US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian leader Anthony Albanese visited the San Diego Naval Base on Monday to confirm the next steps in the trilateral agreement known as “AUKUS” after the three participating countries.
These next steps include the formalization of US and British plans to help Australia develop its nuclear submarine fleet in response to growing concerns about China’s actions in the Indo-Pacific.
The Trudeau government downplays the importance of AUKUS to Canada, while others lament the country’s absence from the pact.
One of the Canadian Forces’ top commanders, Vice Adm. Bob Auchterlony, worries that Canada doesn’t have access to the same cutting-edge technology as its three closest allies.
Canada’s absence from the AUKUS partnership is seen by some as further evidence that its allies do not believe Ottawa is serious about countering Chinese ambitions, despite the unveiling of a new Indo-Pacific strategy late last year.
“I think Canada’s problem right now is that although it has a strategy, it hasn’t decided what it wants to achieve in the Indo-Pacific,” said Canadian Forces College professor Paul Mitchell, an expert in naval strategy. and defense policy.
Canada’s strategy seeks to strike a balance between confrontation and cooperation with China. It says Canada will stand up to China “on areas of deep division” while working together on areas of common interest, such as climate change.
The US takes a completely different approach. In a defense strategy released earlier this month, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said an aggressive China is the “challenge of a generation” and a top priority for the US military.
Former Canadian Ambassador to China David Mulroney noted that Australia initiated AUKUS after seriously considering its future as a power in a world – and region – that China seeks to dominate.
It is known that Australia is ready to spend billions of dollars as part of a deal to acquire new submarines.
The UK and US are also expected to invest in an agreement for technology development, training and other areas.
Defense analyst David Perry of the Canadian Institute of Global Affairs noted that the US, UK and Australia spend 2% or more of their national gross domestic product on defense, while Canada spends less than 1.3%.
They also have firm plans to build new submarines, while Ottawa has yet to even commit to replacing four of the Royal Canadian Navy’s troubled Victoria-class ships, let alone start working on plans to build or buy a new fleet.
Source: Nash Vancouver
