Canada's Indo-Pacific strategy boldly calls China an increasingly disruptive
global power. How can Canada and the countries in the
Indo-Pacific region, I guess, curb China's power and without provoking a
negative response from Beijing? So our Indo-Pacific strategy focuses on
the Indo-Pacific region as a whole. We are eyes wide open in China.
But we make sure to enhance the peace and stability of the region in four
ways. First, we are adding a third frigate to
the area. Second, we are increasing our military
exercises with partner countries Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam.
Third, we are increasing our women peace and security initiatives.
And fourth, in the area of cyber. Making sure that we are partnering with
countries to ensure the integrity of cyber and technological networks.
So it's a broad based approach. You talked about adding a third frigate,
but your frigates, they say, are pretty old.
They're pretty limited as well. And you're short of about thirteen
hundred sailors. Do you have the capacity to help contain
China in this part of the world in the Indo-Pacific strategy?
I was very clear and intentional to put forward
initiatives that we could, from a defence perspective,
tangibly provide. And what I mean by that is we are making
sure the frigate is in the area. And in fact, it is we are making sure
that these are initiatives that we can execute in the short term.
So the defense perspective of the Indo-Pacific strategy is one of what can
we accomplish in the short term. And those initiatives that I mentioned
are first and foremost on the table. You mentioned the shortage in personnel.
This is an issue that armies and navies or air forces across the world are
addressing as the world is confronted with a labor shortage crisis.
Generally after Covid-19. But what we're doing in Canada to
address it is to implement a recruitment strategy, a retention strategy.
And in the area of Navy, which you mentioned in your question, we have
something called the new experience program where individuals can join the
Navy for a year to see if they like it. And if they do, they can stay.
You have the capacity. Do we hold your.
Yes, we have the capacity and we're building for the future in terms of
personnel. I want to talk about the spy balloons,
China's spy balloons found in Canada, in the US.
Yes. All such activities new.
How concerned are you about China's activities now?
Well, we're certainly cognizant that they have been occurring in the air and
we are seeing subsurface sun surface activities in northern waters as well.
In terms of the boys that we were able to retrieve earlier this year as well.
So, again, we are eyes wide open on China, whether it relates to activity in
and around our continent or in the Indo-Pacific region.
And that is another reason for our Indo-Pacific strategy and increasing our
presence specifically, though. How do you counter that?
Do you have to take tougher actions against China, for instance?
We need to continue to build up our multilateral alliances as well as our
continental security. And that's why last year we contributed
and committed almost 40 billion dollars to Nord and Continental Defence.
That's to build up our infrastructure in aerospace surveillance.
We are also making sure to contribute resources to the Indo-Pacific.
As I have mentioned, and also undertaking a defence policy update.
So we are looking at our current capabilities to make sure we have what
it needs to respond to the changing threat environment that we are faced
with. Ever since Russia's further invasion of
Ukraine on the upgrading of red. Some say that you're pretty much late to
the game because, you know, it's been decades since you were warned
of the need to do that. Has there been some form of complacency
on the part of Canada, on the part of the US when it comes to know that the US
is our oldest and deer's partner and we have worked together cooperatively for
decades in terms of continental defence, our commitment to.
Almost 40 billion dollars is a further recognition that we need to modernize
for the future. We are purchasing eighty eight F thirty
fives. Those are inter operable aviation
capabilities jets so that we are building the resources that are
important for aerospace surveillance and for our work with our allies.
I want to touch on Ukraine's bid to join NATO.
We know that the prime minister of Poland was in Canada and he was urging
for, I guess, an expedited process of that bid.
We know also that Canada supports that bid.
But do you also support an expedited process?
Listen, I had a wonderful discussion with my colleague, Defense Minister Rest
Markoff yesterday. And we are aligned that the focus now is
on ensuring that Ukraine has the military equipment that it needs to
fight and win this war. That is urgent.
And the countries around the defense contact group table.
It's almost 50 countries or more are aligned with the need to provide
whatever military equipment we can. For Canada's part, that has been over
one billion dollars in military aid, from ammunition to em, triple sevens to
cameras for drones to armored vehicles. And we'll keep going because of the need
to focus on the equipment that Ukraine has to have to fight and win this war.