Canada is exploring the possibility of joining the trinational alliance of Australia, the UK, and the US to counter China’s increasing military influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Known as AUKUS, the alliance aims to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific and enhance defense capabilities through technology sharing. The initial phase of the partnership involves working on nuclear submarines for Canberra.
According to Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair, Ottawa wants to join a second pillar of the alliance, which involves collaboration on emerging military technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing.
“There have been important discussions about processes and platforms on a project-specific basis on where other nations, including Japan and ourselves, might participate,” he said during his first visit to Tokyo as defense minister.
“I would respectfully wait until they’ve come to their determination, but I’m very optimistic.”
Expanded Alliance?
Talks about potentially expanding the AUKUS alliance began when Japan signified its intent to become a fourth member.
The founding nations have confirmed they were considering Tokyo’s involvement in “specific Pillar 2 defense projects,” given its substantial investments in cutting-edge military technologies.
South Korea and New Zealand have also shown interest in contributing to the second pillar, offering their expertise in areas such as AI, autonomy, undersea capabilities, electronic warfare, and cyber operations.
The US previously said it was open to allowing more countries to participate in AUKUS’ technological activities, noting its appreciation for the interest from various allies.
“I think all three countries have made clear that under the appropriate circumstances we would be prepared to work collaboratively with other partners who bring capacity to the challenge,” US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said.
Increasing Threats
China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific has led many countries to view it as the biggest threat in the region.
Its aggressive stance in the South China Sea, marked by multiple maritime confrontations with Philippine Navy vessels and its mounting pressure on Taiwan, has heightened regional tensions.
Chinese President Xi Jinping previously warned against a resurgence of Cold War-era tensions in the Asia-Pacific due to increasing military cooperation among its adversaries.