Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government is boosting military spending and expanding Canadian trade ties in the Indo-Pacific region as part of a "generational” policy shift aimed at countering China’s influence.
Foreign Minister Melanie Joly released her nation’s Indo-Pacific Strategy Sunday morning, including nearly $1.7 billion (2.3 billion Canadian dollars) in spending. That money is being used for more navy patrols in the region, better intelligence and cybersecurity measures, and increased cooperation with regional partners in the East and South China Seas.
The 26-page document — unveiled by Joly and a trio of other ministers in Vancouver, with Trudeau’s defense chief holding a virtual briefing later Sunday — includes a lengthy section on China, which it refers to as an "increasingly disruptive global power.”