Australia-UK-US exclusion from defense pact, Canada has agreed on a high price to pay for Communist China’s soft pedaling
News analysis
New Trilateral Defense Pact AUKUSAnnounced on September 15 by leaders from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, it is widely seen as a cuddly to Canada due to many shortcomings and failures in the Communist Party’s deal with China.
Over the years, foreign policy and defense experts have called on Canada to strengthen its approach to China, better align with US goals, and engage more. Indo PacificA region of global strategic importance, growing rapidly, to help counter the growing threat from Beijing.
Canada seems to be paying for not expelling Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei from its 5G infrastructure. Huawei and 5G have been working on this issue for years in the strong US warning of the Five Eyes Information Sharing Alliance, which consists of Canada, New Zealand and AUKUS. It is the only country that has not made a decision regarding.
The presence of Huawei equipment In the country’s infrastructure, Beijing could access sensitive networks and data, threatening Canada’s national security, which could pose a risk to the United States.
In early 2019, his book “Panda claws, ”Chinese experts and authors Jonathan Manthorpe If Canada considers Huawei’s risk manageable, the United States may cease sharing sensitive information with Canada, he said.
“It may mean the end of the Five Eyes,” Manthorpe said.
A popular view is that the Five Eyes are effectively transformed into Three Eyes, looking into Canada on the outside.
The first thing Canada can do to get to the same page as the United States is to refuse Huawei’s involvement in 5G infrastructure. Robert Spalding He told attendees of the McDonald’s-Laurier Institute (MLI) annual dinner in February 2020.
“”[Canada] Basically we haven’t built Huawei into the system — I think it’s probably the most important in the short term, “he told The Epoch Times earlier.
Foreign policy and the Indo-Pacific
Former Canadian Ambassador David Maloney Tweet On September 15, AUKUS countries have just given Canada a “monumental snab” and “feedback to foreign policy that signals virtue.”
“Countries vulnerable by neglecting their defenses are most likely to need an alliance and are least likely to be included,” Mulroney said. Tweet September 17th regarding Canada.
Stephen Nagy, Director of Policy Research Yokosuka Asia Pacific Research Council And the governor Canadian Chamber of Commerce in JapanCalls on Canada to consider sustainable involvement in the Indo-Pacific region of trade and development. He also warned about the failure of Virtue signaling.
“Regional leaders believe that Canada’s progressive values are okay for Canadian society, but that these values should not exist in Canada’s diplomacy in the region. “Nagy wrote in the comments. Canadian Global Affairs Institute..
Richard FadenThe Prime Minister’s former national security adviser said at the MLI Foreign Policy Webinar last October that Canada needs to develop a realistic view of its own country and the world as part of its foreign policy upgrade.
“Every time the government changes, foreign policy cannot change drastically and requires public consensus,” he said.
To increase its presence in the Indo-Pacific, Faden advised the addition of new Indo-Pacific allies to form a smaller multilateral alliance. Fadden suggested that Canada should choose two or three major allies, including Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia.
More than a nuclear submarine
According to comments from senior U.S. government officials, it seems less certain that Canada has established itself as a trusted top partner alongside the United States.
“I just want to emphasize in general, and obviously no ally is better than Britain and Australia,” said a senior US government official at the White House. briefing September 15th.
Be part of Five eyes It allowed Canada to get information that it couldn’t get on its own, and now it seems that Canada can’t get certain information. information When technology Share what the AUKUS Defense Pact provides among the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.
NS First initiative Under AUKUS, it is to help Australia acquire a fleet of nuclear submarines. The United States and the United Kingdom have already had such capabilities for decades.The new Australian submarine Not armed with nuclear weapons, The leaders of the three countries emphasized that their country will continue to fulfill its obligation to non-proliferate nuclear weapons.
Apart from the Australian nuclear submarine U.S. government official The three countries said they would work with new new technologies, initially focusing on cyber, artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and additional submarine capabilities.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Disregard Rivals Erin O’Toole and Jagmeet Singh said Canada had missed the opportunity to put pressure on China, while the campaign’s trajectory progressed.
Retired Deputy Admiral and former Admiral Marc Norman Trudeau comment The fact that AUKUS is about an Australian nuclear submarine is “misleading”.
“This #AUKUS deal goes far beyond the new #Submarines. It’s about sharing information and technology,” Norman tweeted on September 16.
Canadian officials said Globe and Mail Ottawa was amazed at the development of AUKUS, and it was clear that Ottawa was considered a “weak sister” when it came to confronting China.
Rahul Vaidyanath
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Rahul Vaidyanath is a journalist in The Epoch Times of Canada. His areas of expertise include economics, financial markets, China, and defense and security. He has worked at the Bank of Canada, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., and investment banks in Toronto, New York and Los Angeles.