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Japanese PM asks for Canada’s help on clean energy

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023. (Sean Kilpatrick /The Canadian Press via AP)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomes Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida to Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023. (Sean Kilpatrick /The Canadian Press via AP)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, riht, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hold a joint news conference near Parliament Hill, Thursday, January 12, 2023 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau smiles as he listens to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speak during a joint news conference, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida walk to a joint news conference, Thursday, January 12, 2023 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida listens via a translation aid as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responds to a question during a joint news conference, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida walk to a joint news conference, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida looks on as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responds to a question during a joint news conference, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, in Ottawa, Ontario. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

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OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is looking to Canada to help his country wean itself off fossil fuels from places such as Russia.

Kishida is in Ottawa Thursday for his first visit as Japan’s head of government, as part of a tour of other Group of Seven countries.

Japan holds the G-7 presidency this year and is set to host meetings with the leaders of some of the world’s richest countries. The group includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union.

Tokyo plans to use the presidency to coordinate with other states on economic management and punishing Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Kishida arrived late Wednesday in Ottawa from London, and is expected to head to Washington, D.C. later Thursday.

The visit comes during a time of geopolitical alignment between Japan and Canada, both of which have recently singled out China as a threat to stability in the region.

Kishida’s arrival marks the first visit to Canada by an Asian head of government since Ottawa launched its Indo-Pacific strategy last November, which called for closer ties with countries that can counterbalance Beijing’s influence.

A new Japanese defense strategy unveiled last month included working with allies to ward off threats from North Korea and China, and made it legal for Japan to conduct military strikes against enemy bases. Tokyo is boosting its military spending by 26% in just one year.

Meanwhile, a regional trade deal launched in 2018 has helped both countries expand trade with each other’s markets. Under the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, Canada has increased its exports of pork and oil to Japan, while it has brought in more imports of Japanese machinery and auto parts.

“Trade is booming between our two countries,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a Thursday lunch he hosted for Kishida and corporate executives.

“We share a vision for peace and prosperity on both sides of the Pacific.”

Kishida told guests that liquefied natural gas will play a “crucial role” in Japan’s energy transition, and that Canada’s looming LNG export terminal is one example of multiple ways Ottawa can help.

“On science, technology and innovation, (digital transformation) and startups, I am very keen to further strengthen co-operation between industry, government and academia in both countries,” Kishida told participants in Japanese, through an English interpreter.

“Nuclear power will also play a key role, and we look forward to working together to make the nuclear supply chain more resilient.”

The Canadian government will lead a trade delegation to Japan this fall, Trudeau said, and Japanese companies interested in mining and electric-vehicle battery components aim to visit Canada in the spring.

Japanese PM to meet with Trudeau next week

Ottawa stop will be prime minister fumio kishida's first visit to canada since his election in 2021.

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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa next Thursday.

It will be Kishida's first visit to Canada since he was elected in 2021.

A press release from Trudeau's office says the two will discuss strengthening bilateral trade, Russia's war on Ukraine and Japan's upcoming G7 presidency.

"I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Kishida to Canada and working even more closely together to deliver results for people in Canada and Japan," Trudeau said in a media statement.

Kishida's visit will be part of his tour of most of the G7 countries, which includes a stop in Washington to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden.

With files from the Associated Press

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Japan PM's first visit to Canada could highlight LNG needs

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during his New Year's press conference in Ise, central Japan Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. The Japanese Prime Minister will visit Ottawa next Wednesday, the first Canadian visit by an Asian head of government since Ottawa launched its Indo-Pacific strategy last November. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kyodo News via AP

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's first official visit to Canada will take place next week, as Tokyo looks to Canada to provide much-needed liquefied natural gas.

Japan takes over the rotating presidency of the Group of Seven this year and Kishida is embarking on a multi-country tour.

The G7 started as a forum for the world's largest economies to co-ordinate economic policy, but has broadened its role in recent years to take a key role in punishing Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

The group includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union.

Kishida is set to arrive Wednesday in Ottawa from London, and will leave Thursday for Washington.

It will be the first Canadian visit by an Asian head of government since Ottawa launched its Indo-Pacific strategy last November, which called for closer ties with countries that can counterbalance China's influence.

Japan is similarly trying to pivot away from a reliance on China and Russia for electricity and food.

To that end, Kishida has created the position of a minister of state for economic security, and is trying to bring nuclear reactors back online after dozens were halted following the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

The country is so reliant on Russian fuel that G7 countries gave Japan an exemption on a measure that caps the price of Russian oil below market rates, to avoid Japan facing the same scramble for energy that Europe undertook last year.

Trevor Kennedy, the Business Council of Canada vice-president for international policy, said Kishida will likely seek a further commitment from Canada to sell liquefied natural gas, and mention an ongoing interest in hydrogen.

"They're stuck in a situation where they're sourcing their LNG from Russia, and they don't have another option," said Kennedy, who has worked in Japan.

Japan and South Korea have invested in Canada's first LNG export terminal in Kitimat, B.C., which is set to come online in 2025.

Kennedy said both countries and Canadian firms are watching to see whether the terminal meets that timeline, given the delays other large energy projects in Canada have faced.

He said the energy sector, Tokyo and Seoul also want Ottawa to boost the LNG sector by expanding the terminal or launching more of them. Otherwise, Japan and South Korea will have to rely on gas from Russia, or ask faraway countries to send supplies through waters China is trying to control.

Last month, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Canada's goal is to be as close to South Korea and Japan as Ottawa is to Germany, France and the U.K.

Kennedy said it's an obvious decision, given the pair are democratic countries who share the same values. But he said it requires a sense of urgency.

"We need to be more deliberate about how we engage," he said.

"A lot of it is a mindset, and just understanding that these are our neighbours."

Kennedy said Canadian businesses have been looking past Japan for the last three decades. The country's economic bubble burst in 1991, just as other Asian countries started posting stronger growth. Japan's population is also aging at one of the fastest rates in the world.

Yet the country remains the world's third-largest economy, Kennedy noted, and it's flush with capital that firms are seeking to invest abroad.

Railways and telecommunications companies, for example, have barely any room to develop more services within Japan, and have been focusing on investments elsewhere.

The CPTPP trade deal, which spans most of the Pacific Rim, has helped boost Canadian exports to Japan, particularly pork and canola products.

Japanese companies are now looking to expand electric-vehicle production in North America, and Ottawa is under pressure to match American subsidies on the production of green vehicles and components.

Last month, Japan's new defence strategy called for working with allies to ward off threats from North Korea and China, and has made it legal for Japan to strike enemy bases. Tokyo is also boosting military spending by 26 per cent in just one year.

Next week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Kishida will likely take stock of a plan both countries issued last October, spanning everything from fighting illegal fishing to implementing a military intelligence sharing deal.

Kishida might also publicly endorse Canada's desire to join the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, a forum for co-ordinating supply chains and tax policy. Ottawa claims that all members of that group want Canada to join.

At a Thursday speech in Washington, Japanese trade minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said his country plans to use its year leading the G7 to encourage allies to lessen their dependence on rogue states like Russia and China.

He told the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank that rich countries assumed that economic ties with poorer states would have made them less volatile.

“It was poverty that sparked violence and conflict; prosperity was a seabed of peace,” Nishimura said. “Our assumption was unmistakably an illusion.”

He argued that like-minded countries need to identify the states that undertake "economic coercion" and have clear strategies to lessen their effect.

“By making economic growth possible, the free-trade system ended up increasing the legitimacy of authoritarian regimes,” he said.

Nishimura noted that Russia has cut off gas exports to punish countries. He chastised China for arbitrarily banning agricultural imports such as pineapples from Taiwan, an example reminiscent of China’s past ban on Canadian canola.

“There is a risk involved in relying excessively upon a single country economically and we now fear that risk more intensely than ever,” Nishimura said.

He said countries need to put up cash for innovation, such as producing semiconductors and recycling the rare minerals found in electronic waste. “We must make bold investments at a scale never seen before."

Experts will watch for large-ticket announcements at the G7 leaders summit this May in Hiroshima. Kishida has hinted he might also use the summit to try furthering the cause of nuclear disarmament, given the host city was devastated by an atomic bomb in the Second World War.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 7, 2023. 

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Japanese PM Kishida visits Ottawa, asks for Canada's help on clean energy transition

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OTTAWA — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has asked Canada to form closer ties during a visit to Ottawa that experts say comes at a time when the two countries have significant geopolitical alignment.

Kishida visited Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the first time as Japan’s head of government, part of a tour of other G7 countries as Japan seeks ways to wean off fossil fuels from places such as Russia.

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Japan holds the G7 presidency this year and is set to host meetings with the leaders of some of the world’s richest countries. The group includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union.

Tokyo plans to use the presidency to co-ordinate with other states on economic management and to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Kishida arrived in Ottawa from London late Wednesday and was off to Washington, D.C., on Thursday afternoon.

“It absolutely is crucial, even if it’s a short visit,” said Ian Burney, who served as Canada’s ambassador in Tokyo from 2015 to 2021.

“There is a near-perfect alignment between Japan’s desire to diversify its sources of imports … and Canada’s desire to diversify our export markets, which remains extremely overly reliant on just one market to our immediate south,” said Burney, who is now an investment adviser.

Kishida’s is the first visit to Canada by an Asian head of government since Ottawa launched its Indo-Pacific strategy last November, which called for closer ties with countries that can counterbalance Beijing’s influence.

A new Japanese defence strategy unveiled last month included working with allies to ward off threats from North Korea and China, and made it legal for Japan to conduct military strikes against enemy bases. Tokyo is boosting its military spending by 26 per cent in just one year.

“We agreed that we would strongly oppose unilateral attempts (by China) to change the status quo by force,” Kishida said of his discussion with Trudeau, through an interpreter.

Meanwhile, a regional trade deal launched in 2018 has helped both countries expand trade to each other’s markets. Under the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, Canada has increased exports of pork and oil to Japan and brought in more Japanese machinery and auto parts.

“Trade is booming between our two countries,” Trudeau said at a Thursday lunch he hosted for Kishida and corporate executives.

“We share a vision for peace and prosperity on both sides of the Pacific.”

University of British Columbia political scientist Yves Tiberghien said Canada gained “first-mover advantage” by inking the trade deal with Japan, which the United States still hasn’t done.

He noted Kishida’s visit comes just months after Japan and Canada both singled out China as a threat to stability in the region.

Kishida told Thursday’s lunch guests that liquefied natural gas will play a “crucial role” in Japan’s energy transition and that Canada’s looming LNG export terminal is one example of the ways Ottawa can help.

“On science, technology and innovation, (digital transformation) and startups, I am very keen to further strengthen co-operation between industry, government and academia in both countries,” Kishida said through an English interpreter.

“Nuclear power will also play a key role and we look forward to working together to make the nuclear supply chain more resilient.”

Yet Trudeau and Kishida did not commit to any further LNG projects, such as a proposed Phase 2 expansion of the looming terminal at Kitimat, B.C.

“We’re going to continue to look for ways to be that reliable supplier of energy,” Trudeau said.

“Even as we do talk about things like LNG and other traditional sources of energy, we know the world is moving aggressively and meaningfully towards decarbonizing, towards diversifying, towards more renewables,” he added.

Burney said global competition makes it essential for Canada to meet the 2025 timeline to export LNG.

“It was an area of some frustration for me because we’ve been talking about becoming a major energy supplier to Japan for decades and for most of that time, it was just that — talk,” he said.

“Frankly, all eyes are on that project. It is, to my mind, crucial that that be completed on schedule.”

He noted Canada’s first major energy exports to Japan started in 2019 through a propane-export facility that quickly made up a sizable chunk of Japan’s supply.

Tiberghien said the two countries also see eye-to-eye on a shift toward green technology, digital innovation and artificial intelligence, all the while decoupling from China.

“There is tremendous interest at doing more with Canada on defence, economic security, green technology, artificial intelligence, lithium, LNG, batteries — you name it,” he said.

There has been a recent uptick in visits by Liberal ministers to Tokyo and Trudeau said a trade delegation will head to Japan in the coming year. He also said Japanese companies interested in mining and electric-vehicle battery components aim to visit Canada in the spring.

Burney said the Indo-Pacific strategy hit the right tone, but ought to have included new opportunities for Canadian youth to do exchanges in Japan, similar to the Japan’s massive program for English teachers.

“Few things matter more in Japan than personal relationships,” he said. “They often open doors to other opportunities.”

Both experts said the countries share so many values and so few irritants that they take each other for granted, focusing more on Washington or Europe.

Part of the current convergence stems from a relative abatement of hostility between Japan and South Korea compared to recent decades.

The memory of Japan’s colonization of Korea and human-rights breaches it committed before and during the Second World War flares up when Japanese politicians visit nationalist historical sites, or when Korean leaders bring up forced labour and sexual exploitation.

“Canada could have an interesting, special relationship with both at the same time and maybe play an external role in lessening any tension between them,” Tiberghien said.

He said Japan and Korea put an emphasis on anniversaries, and 2023 gives a pretext for Ottawa to hold events that commemorate 95 years of diplomatic relations with Japan and 60 years of the same with South Korea.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2023.

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Japanese PM Kishida visits Ottawa, asks for Canada’s help on clean energy transition

Jan 12, 2023

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

By Dylan Robertson in Ottawa

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has asked Canada to form closer ties during a visit to Ottawa that experts say comes at a time when the two countries have significant geopolitical alignment.

Kishida visited Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the first time as Japan’s head of government, part of a tour of other G7 countries as  Japan  seeks ways to wean off fossil fuels from places such as Russia.

Japan  holds the G7 presidency this year and is set to host meetings with the leaders of some of the world’s richest countries. The group includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy,  Japan  and the United States, plus the European Union.

Tokyo plans to use the presidency to co-ordinate with other states on economic management and to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Kishida arrived in Ottawa from London late Wednesday and was off to Washington, D.C., on Thursday afternoon.

“It absolutely is crucial, even if it’s a short visit,” said Ian Burney, who served as Canada’s ambassador in Tokyo from 2015 to 2021.

“There is a near-perfect alignment between Japan’s desire to diversify its sources of imports … and Canada’s desire to diversify our export markets, which remains extremely overly reliant on just one market to our immediate south,” said Burney, who is now an investment adviser.

Kishida’s is the first visit to Canada by an Asian head of government since Ottawa launched its Indo-Pacific strategy last November, which called for closer ties with countries that can counterbalance Beijing’s influence.

A new Japanese defence strategy unveiled last month included working with allies to ward off threats from North Korea and China, and made it legal for  Japan  to conduct military strikes against enemy bases. Tokyo is boosting its military spending by 26 per cent in just one year.

“We agreed that we would strongly oppose unilateral attempts (by China) to change the status quo by force,” Kishida said of his discussion with Trudeau, through an interpreter.

Meanwhile, a regional trade deal launched in 2018 has helped both countries expand trade to each other’s markets. Under the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, Canada has increased exports of pork and oil to  Japan  and brought in more Japanese machinery and auto parts.

“Trade is booming between our two countries,” Trudeau said at a Thursday lunch he hosted for Kishida and corporate executives.

“We share a vision for peace and prosperity on both sides of the Pacific.”

University of British Columbia political scientist Yves Tiberghien said Canada gained “first-mover advantage” by inking the trade deal with  Japan , which the United States still hasn’t done.

He noted Kishida’s visit comes just months after  Japan  and Canada both singled out China as a threat to stability in the region.

Kishida told Thursday’s lunch guests that liquefied natural gas will play a “crucial role” in Japan’s energy transition and that Canada’s looming  LNG  export terminal is one example of the ways Ottawa can help.

“On science, technology and innovation, (digital transformation) and startups, I am very keen to further strengthen co-operation between industry, government and academia in both countries,” Kishida said through an English interpreter.

“Nuclear power will also play a key role and we look forward to working together to make the nuclear supply chain more resilient.”

Yet Trudeau and Kishida did not commit to any further  LNG  projects, such as a proposed Phase 2 expansion of the looming terminal at Kitimat, B.C.

“We’re going to continue to look for ways to be that reliable supplier of energy,” Trudeau said.

“Even as we do talk about things like  LNG  and other traditional sources of energy, we know the world is moving aggressively and meaningfully towards decarbonizing, towards diversifying, towards more renewables,” he added.

Burney said global competition makes it essential for Canada to meet the 2025 timeline to export  LNG .

“It was an area of some frustration for me because we’ve been talking about becoming a major energy supplier to  Japan  for decades and for most of that time, it was just that — talk,” he said.

“Frankly, all eyes are on that project. It is, to my mind, crucial that that be completed on schedule.”

He noted Canada’s first major energy exports to  Japan  started in 2019 through a propane-export facility that quickly made up a sizable chunk of Japan’s supply.

Tiberghien said the two countries also see eye-to-eye on a shift toward green technology, digital innovation and artificial intelligence, all the while decoupling from China.

“There is tremendous interest at doing more with Canada on defence, economic security, green technology, artificial intelligence, lithium,  LNG , batteries — you name it,” he said.

There has been a recent uptick in visits by Liberal ministers to Tokyo and Trudeau said a trade delegation will head to  Japan  in the coming year. He also said Japanese companies interested in mining and electric-vehicle battery components aim to visit Canada in the spring.

Burney said the Indo-Pacific strategy hit the right tone, but ought to have included new opportunities for Canadian youth to do exchanges in  Japan , similar to the Japan’s massive program for English teachers.

“Few things matter more in  Japan  than personal relationships,” he said. “They often open doors to other opportunities.”

Both experts said the countries share so many values and so few irritants that they take each other for granted, focusing more on Washington or Europe.

Part of the current convergence stems from a relative abatement of hostility between  Japan  and South Korea compared to recent decades.

The memory of Japan’s colonization of Korea and human-rights breaches it committed before and during the Second World War flares up when Japanese politicians visit nationalist historical sites, or when Korean leaders bring up forced labour and sexual exploitation.

“Canada could have an interesting, special relationship with both at the same time and maybe play an external role in lessening any tension between them,” Tiberghien said.

He said  Japan  and Korea put an emphasis on anniversaries, and 2023 gives a pretext for Ottawa to hold events that commemorate 95 years of diplomatic relations with  Japan  and 60 years of the same with South Korea.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2023.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2023. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Japanese PM asks for Canada's help on clean energy

January 13, 2023 (Mainichi Japan)

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is looking to Canada to help his country wean itself off fossil fuels from places such as Russia.

Kishida is in Ottawa Thursday for his first visit as Japan's head of government, as part of a tour of other Group of Seven countries.

Japan holds the G-7 presidency this year and is set to host meetings with the leaders of some of the world's richest countries. The group includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union.

Tokyo plans to use the presidency to coordinate with other states on economic management and punishing Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Kishida arrived late Wednesday in Ottawa from London, and is expected to head to Washington, D.C. later Thursday.

The visit comes during a time of geopolitical alignment between Japan and Canada, both of which have recently singled out China as a threat to stability in the region.

Kishida's arrival marks the first visit to Canada by an Asian head of government since Ottawa launched its Indo-Pacific strategy last November, which called for closer ties with countries that can counterbalance Beijing's influence.

A new Japanese defense strategy unveiled last month included working with allies to ward off threats from North Korea and China, and made it legal for Japan to conduct military strikes against enemy bases. Tokyo is boosting its military spending by 26% in just one year.

Meanwhile, a regional trade deal launched in 2018 has helped both countries expand trade with each other's markets. Under the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, Canada has increased its exports of pork and oil to Japan, while it has brought in more imports of Japanese machinery and auto parts.

"Trade is booming between our two countries," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a Thursday lunch he hosted for Kishida and corporate executives.

"We share a vision for peace and prosperity on both sides of the Pacific."

Kishida told guests that liquefied natural gas will play a "crucial role" in Japan's energy transition, and that Canada's looming LNG export terminal is one example of multiple ways Ottawa can help.

"On science, technology and innovation, (digital transformation) and startups, I am very keen to further strengthen co-operation between industry, government and academia in both countries," Kishida told participants in Japanese, through an English interpreter.

"Nuclear power will also play a key role, and we look forward to working together to make the nuclear supply chain more resilient."

The Canadian government will lead a trade delegation to Japan this fall, Trudeau said, and Japanese companies interested in mining and electric-vehicle battery components aim to visit Canada in the spring.

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Japanese PM asks for Canada’s help on clean energy

Japanese prime minister fumio kishida is looking to canada to help his country wean itself off fossil fuels from places such as russia, article bookmarked.

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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is looking to Canada to help his country wean itself off fossil fuels from places such as Russia .

Kishida is in Ottawa Thursday for his first visit as Japan’s head of government, as part of a tour of other Group of Seven countries.

Japan holds the G-7 presidency this year and is set to host meetings with the leaders of some of the world’s richest countries. The group includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union.

Tokyo plans to use the presidency to coordinate with other states on economic management and punishing Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Kishida arrived late Wednesday in Ottawa from London, and is expected to head to Washington, D.C. later Thursday.

The visit comes during a time of geopolitical alignment between Japan and Canada, both of which have recently singled out China as a threat to stability in the region.

Kishida’s arrival marks the first visit to Canada by an Asian head of government since Ottawa launched its Indo-Pacific strategy last November, which called for closer ties with countries that can counterbalance Beijing’s influence.

A new Japanese defense strategy unveiled last month included working with allies to ward off threats from North Korea and China, and made it legal for Japan to conduct military strikes against enemy bases. Tokyo is boosting its military spending by 26% in just one year.

Meanwhile, a regional trade deal launched in 2018 has helped both countries expand trade with each other’s markets. Under the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, Canada has increased its exports of pork and oil to Japan, while it has brought in more imports of Japanese machinery and auto parts.

“Trade is booming between our two countries,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a Thursday lunch he hosted for Kishida and corporate executives.

“We share a vision for peace and prosperity on both sides of the Pacific.”

Kishida told guests that liquefied natural gas will play a “crucial role” in Japan’s energy transition, and that Canada’s looming LNG export terminal is one example of multiple ways Ottawa can help.

“On science, technology and innovation, (digital transformation) and startups, I am very keen to further strengthen co-operation between industry, government and academia in both countries,” Kishida told participants in Japanese, through an English interpreter.

“Nuclear power will also play a key role, and we look forward to working together to make the nuclear supply chain more resilient.”

The Canadian government will lead a trade delegation to Japan this fall, Trudeau said, and Japanese companies interested in mining and electric-vehicle battery components aim to visit Canada in the spring.

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Japan PM visit could highlight LNG needs, as Tokyo pushes away from Russia and China

Japan and South Korea have invested in Canada’s first LNG export terminal in Kitimat, which is set to come online in 2025.

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OTTAWA — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s first official visit to Canada will take place next week, as Tokyo looks to Canada to provide much-needed liquefied natural gas.

Japan PM visit could highlight LNG needs, as Tokyo pushes away from Russia and China Back to video

Japan takes over the rotating presidency of the Group of Seven this year and Kishida is embarking on a multi-country tour.

The G7 started as a forum for the world’s largest economies to co-ordinate economic policy, but has broadened its role in recent years to take a key role in punishing Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

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The group includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union.

Kishida is set to arrive Thursday in Ottawa from London before heading to Washington.

It will be the first Canadian visit by an Asian head of government since Ottawa launched its Indo-Pacific strategy last November, which called for closer ties with countries that can counterbalance China’s influence.

Japan is similarly trying to pivot away from a reliance on China and Russia for electricity and food.

To that end, Kishida has created the position of a minister of state for economic security, and is trying to bring nuclear reactors back online after dozens were halted following the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

The country is so reliant on Russian fuel that G7 countries gave Japan an exemption on a measure that caps the price of Russian oil below market rates, to avoid Japan facing the same scramble for energy that Europe undertook last year.

Trevor Kennedy, the Business Council of Canada vice-president for international policy, said Kishida will likely seek a further commitment from Canada to sell liquefied natural gas, and mention an ongoing interest in hydrogen.

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“They’re stuck in a situation where they’re sourcing their LNG from Russia, and they don’t have another option,” said Kennedy, who has worked in Japan.

Kennedy said both countries and Canadian firms are watching to see whether the terminal meets that timeline, given the delays other large energy projects in Canada have faced.

He said the energy sector, Tokyo and Seoul also want Ottawa to boost the LNG sector by expanding the terminal or launching more of them. Otherwise, Japan and South Korea will have to rely on gas from Russia, or ask faraway countries to send supplies through waters China is trying to control.

Last month, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Canada’s goal is to be as close to South Korea and Japan as Ottawa is to Germany, France and the U.K.

Kennedy said it’s an obvious decision, given the pair are democratic countries who share the same values. But he said it requires a sense of urgency.

“We need to be more deliberate about how we engage,” he said.

“A lot of it is a mindset, and just understanding that these are our neighbours.”

Kennedy said Canadian businesses have been looking past Japan for the last three decades. The country’s economic bubble burst in 1991, just as other Asian countries started posting stronger growth. Japan’s population is also aging at one of the fastest rates in the world.

Yet the country remains the world’s third-largest economy, Kennedy noted, and it’s flush with capital that firms are seeking to invest abroad.

Railways and telecommunications companies, for example, have barely any room to develop more services within Japan, and have been focusing on investments elsewhere.

The CPTPP trade deal, which spans most of the Pacific Rim, has helped boost Canadian exports to Japan, particularly pork and canola products.

Japanese companies are now looking to expand electric-vehicle production in North America, and Ottawa is under pressure to match American subsidies on the production of green vehicles and components.

Last month, Japan’s new defence strategy called for working with allies to ward off threats from North Korea and China, and has made it legal for Japan to strike enemy bases. Tokyo is also boosting military spending by 26 per cent in just one year.

Next week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Kishida will likely take stock of a plan both countries issued last October, spanning everything from fighting illegal fishing to implementing a military intelligence sharing deal.

Kishida might also publicly endorse Canada’s desire to join the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, a forum for co-ordinating supply chains and tax policy. Ottawa claims that all members of that group want Canada to join.

At a Thursday speech in Washington, Japanese trade minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said his country plans to use its year leading the G7 to encourage allies to lessen their dependence on rogue states like Russia and China.

He told the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank that rich countries assumed that economic ties with poorer states would have made them less volatile.

“It was poverty that sparked violence and conflict; prosperity was a seabed of peace,” Nishimura said. “Our assumption was unmistakably an illusion.”

He argued that like-minded countries need to identify the states that undertake “economic coercion” and have clear strategies to lessen their effect.

“By making economic growth possible, the free-trade system ended up increasing the legitimacy of authoritarian regimes,” he said.

Nishimura noted that Russia has cut off gas exports to punish countries. He chastised China for arbitrarily banning agricultural imports such as pineapples from Taiwan, an example reminiscent of China’s past ban on Canadian canola.

“There is a risk involved in relying excessively upon a single country economically and we now fear that risk more intensely than ever,” Nishimura said.

He said countries need to put up cash for innovation, such as producing semiconductors and recycling the rare minerals found in electronic waste. “We must make bold investments at a scale never seen before.”

Experts will watch for large-ticket announcements at the G7 leaders summit this May in Hiroshima. Kishida has hinted he might also use the summit to try furthering the cause of nuclear disarmament, given the host city was devastated by an atomic bomb in the Second World War.

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China’s Xi calls on world powers to help Russia and Ukraine resume direct dialogue

The Associated Press

July 8, 2024, 6:38 AM

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TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping called on world powers to help Russia and Ukraine resume direct dialogue during a meeting Monday with Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Orbán made a surprise visit to China after similar trips last week to Russia and Ukraine to discuss prospects for a peaceful settlement of more than the two-year war. Hungary assumed the rotating presidency of the European Union this month and Orbán has since embarked on a peace mission, which, however, lacks the endorsement of other European leaders.

“China is a key power in creating the conditions for peace in the Russia-Ukraine war,” Orbán wrote on the social media platform X. “This is why I came to meet with President Xi in Beijing, just two months after his official visit to Budapest.”

Orbán is widely seen as having the warmest relations with Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin among European leaders. His visit to Moscow last week drew condemnation from Kyiv and EU officials, who insisted Orbán was not acting on behalf of the whole European bloc.

Their rebuke failed to deter Orbán from extending a similar visit to Beijing, which he called “Peace mission 3.0” in a picture posted on X.

During his meeting with Xi, Orbán described China as a stabilizing force amid global turbulence and praised its “constructive and important” peace initiatives.

China has been promoting its own six-point peace plan, which it issued with Brazil in May. Beijing says it is neutral in the conflict, though in practice it supports Moscow through frequent state visits, growing trade and joint military drills.

While hosting Orbán, Xi called on Russia and Ukraine to cease fire and on other major powers to create an environment conducive to talks. Only when all major powers project “positive energy rather than negative energy” can a cease-fire occur, Xi said, according to CCTV.

Orbán hosted the Chinese leader in Hungary only two months ago as part of a three-country European tour that also included stops in France and Serbia, which unlike the other two is not a member of the EU or NATO.

During the trip, China upgraded its ties with Hungary to an “all-weather, comprehensive strategic partnership,” one of its highest designations for foreign relations that in addition to Hungary applies only to Belarus, Pakistan and Venezuela.

Hungary under Orbán has built substantial political and economic ties with China. The European nation hosts a number of Chinese electric vehicle battery facilities, and in December it announced that Chinese EV manufacturing giant BYD will open its first European EV production factory in the south of the country.

The Hungarian prime minister broadly opposes Western military aid to Ukraine and has blocked, delayed or watered down EU efforts to assist Kyiv and impose sanctions on Moscow over its invasion. Orbán has long argued for a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine but without outlining what that might mean for the country’s territorial integrity or future security.

That posture has frustrated Hungary’s EU and NATO allies, who have denounced Russia’s invasion as a breach of international law and a threat to the security of Eastern Europe.

Standing alongside Orbán last week in Moscow, Putin declared that Russia wouldn’t accept any cease-fire or temporary break in hostilities that would allow Ukraine “to recoup losses, regroup and rearm.”

Putin repeated his demand that Ukraine withdraw its troops from the four regions that Moscow claims to have annexed in 2022 as a condition for any prospective peace talks. Ukraine and its Western allies have rejected that demand, suggesting it is akin to asking Kyiv to withdraw from its own territory.

China meanwhile has spread its influence in Central Asia and Eastern Europe in recent years beyond its “no limits” partnership with Moscow. Over the weekend, China held “anti-terror” military drills with Belarus — a key ally of Russia — near the border with Poland. The drills came after last week Belarus joined a regional security organization led by China and Russia.

Orbán will next head to Washington, D.C., where NATO leaders are holding a summit to discuss ways to assure Ukraine of the alliance’s continued support.

“Next stop: Washington,” Orbán posted on his social media account Monday. It was not clear whether he would meet separately with President Joe Biden, or Donald Trump, whose presidential candidacy Orbán openly supports.

Associated Press writers Adam Schreck in Bangkok, Justin Spike in Budapest, Hungary, and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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Japan’s tourism tax sparks industry speculation in Canada

Japan has introduced a tourism tax for Mount Fuji , charging visitors between $12 and $16 after complaints of overcrowding and pollution began to rise.

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This new idea has prompted some in Canada to wonder if our own tourist destinations like Niagara Falls and the Bay of Fundy could be potential options for our own tourism tax.

Dalhousie University professor Lorn Sheehan specializes in tourism destination management, and says the foundation of the tourism industry is to attract visitors and create a memorable experience.

“Tourists want that experience to be as good as it can be,” Sheehan said, adding that a tourism tax has become more common in the industry worldwide. “The concept is that tourists really need to pay for the price of their experience. In some destinations … there may be too many tourists.”

Sheehan said Canadian destinations like Niagara Falls and the Bay of Fundy could be candidates for a tourism tax, based on the large numbers of people who could bring a negative impact, both socially and environmentally.

“What they pay for that experience has not been enough to offset what the community, the region and maybe the country can bear,” Sheehan said.

Halifax tourism operator Dennis Campbell said Peggy’s Cove in Nova Scotia is a prime example of a destination that could benefit from a tourism tax, applied only to visitors.

“There are about 750,000 visitors to Peggy’s Cove every year and they don’t charge for parking,” Campbell said. “It is a small community of about 29 people who are inconvenienced with all those people on those busy days. If the community were to start to charge two dollars per person, that money could go back to the community.”

Samantha Leon is a tourist visiting Halifax.

“In my home state of Colorado, a lot of our popular hiking areas were being overrun,” Leon said. “We love that people want to enjoy the things that we enjoy, but we sometimes can’t handle the amount of people.”

Leon also said she would not mind paying a tourism tax if she knew where the money goes directly back to the communities. 

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Japan and the Philippines sign a defense pact in the face of shared alarm over China

By Jim Gomez And Haruka Nuga, The Associated Press

Posted July 7, 2024 8:36 pm.

Last Updated July 8, 2024 8:56 am.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Japan and the Philippines signed a key defense pact Monday allowing the deployment of Japanese forces for joint drills in the Southeast Asian nation that came under brutal Japanese occupation in World War II but is now building an alliance with Tokyo as both face an increasingly assertive China.

The Reciprocal Access Agreement , which similarly allows Filipino forces to enter Japan for joint combat training, was signed by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa in a Manila ceremony witnessed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. It would take effect after ratification by the countries’ legislatures, Philippine and Japanese officials said.

Kamikawa called the signing “a groundbreaking achievement” that should further boost defense cooperation between the countries.

The Japanese and Philippine officials “expressed serious concern over the dangerous and escalatory actions by China” in Second Thomas Shoal, the scene of a recent confrontation between Chinese and Philippine forces in the South China Sea. The busy sea passage is a key global trade route which has been claimed virtually in its entirety by China but also contested in part by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

They underscored in a joint statement the need “for the international community to speak out on the importance of maintaining and strengthening the free and open international order based on the rule of law” in the disputed waters.

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said “the Asia-Pacific region does not need military blocs, let alone small groupings that instigate bloc confrontations or a new Cold War” and reminded Japan of its atrocities during World War II in Southeast Asian countries including the Philippines.

“Japan should seriously reflect on its history of aggression and act cautiously in the field of military security,” the spokesperson said.

The defense pact with the Philippines, which includes live-fire drills, is the first to be forged by Japan in Asia. Japan signed similar accords with Australia in 2022 and with Britain in 2023 .

Under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Japan has taken steps to boost its security and defensive firepower , including a counterstrike capability that breaks from the country’s postwar principle of focusing only on self-defense. It’s doubling defense spending in a five-year period to 2027 to bolster its military power and make Japan the world’s third-biggest military spender after the United States and China.

Many of Japan’s Asian neighbors, including the Philippines, came under Japanese aggression until its defeat in World War II, and Tokyo’s efforts to strengthen its military role and spending could be a sensitive issue . Japan and the Philippines, however, have steadily deepened defense and security ties.

Kishida’s moves dovetail with Marcos’ effort to forge security alliances to bolster the Philippine military’s limited ability to defend its territorial interests in the South China Sea.

The United States has also been strengthening an arc of military alliances in the Indo-Pacific to better counter China, including in any future confrontation over Taiwan, and reassure its Asian allies. Japan and the Philippines are treaty allies of the U.S. and their leaders held three-way talks in April at the White House, where President Joe Biden renewed Washington’s “ironclad” commitment to defend Japan and the Philippines.

Japan has had a longstanding territorial dispute with China over islands in the East China Sea. Chinese and Philippine coast guard and navy ships, meanwhile, have been involved in a series of tense confrontations in the South China Sea since last year.

In the worst confrontation so far, Chinese coast guard personnel armed with knives, spears and an ax aboard motorboats repeatedly rammed and destroyed two Philippine navy supply vessels on June 17 in a chaotic faceoff at disputed Second Thomas Shoal that injured several Filipino sailors. Chinese coast guard personnel seized seven navy rifles.

The Japanese and Philippine officials said China’s actions at the shoal “obstructed freedom of navigation and disrupted supply lines, thus, increasing tensions.”

Kihara said in a news conference that Japan “has firmly opposed the dangerous and coercive use of maritime security agencies and maritime militia vessels.”

The Philippines strongly protested the Chinese coast guard’s actions and demanded $1 million for the damage and the return of the rifles. China accused the Philippines of instigating the violence, saying the Filipino sailors strayed into what it called Chinese territorial waters despite warnings.

Japan and the United States were among the first to express alarm over the Chinese actions and call on Beijing to abide by international laws. Washington is obligated to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.

Nuga reported from Bangkok. Associated Press journalists Joeal Calupitan and Aaron Favila in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report.

Jim Gomez And Haruka Nuga, The Associated Press

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Indian prime minister Modi arrives in Russia on his first visit since Moscow invaded Ukraine

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks to the media in New Delhi, India, on June 7. Adnan Abidi/Reuters

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Moscow on Monday for a two-day visit, his first since Russia sent troops into Ukraine – an action that has complicated the relationship between the long-time partners and pushed Russia closer to India’s rival, China.

Modi was set to have dinner with Russian President Vladimir Putin, to be followed by Kremlin talks Tuesday. Modi last travelled to Russia in 2019, when he attended a forum in the far eastern port of Vladivostok and met with Putin. The leaders also saw each other in September 2022 in Uzbekistan, at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization bloc.

Russia has had strong ties with India since the Cold War, and New Delhi’s importance as a key trading partner has grown since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. China and India have become key buyers of Russian oil following sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies that shut most Western markets off to Russian exports. India now gets more than 40% of its oil imports from Russia, according to analysts.

Under Modi’s leadership, India has avoided condemning Russia’s military action in Ukraine while emphasizing the need for a peaceful settlement.

The partnership between Moscow and New Delhi has become fraught, however, as Russia has moved closer to China.

Modi notably stayed away from last week’s summit in Kazakhstan of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a security grouping founded by Moscow and Beijing.

Chietigj Bajpaee, senior South Asia research fellow at the U.K.-based Chatham House, said India is increasingly estranged from forums in which Russia and China play a prominent role.

“This is evident in India’s relatively low-key presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization last year, and now the decision by Modi not to attend this year’s summit,” Bajpaee said.

A confrontation in June 2020 along the disputed China-India border dramatically altered their already touchy relationship as rival troops fought with rocks, clubs and fists. At least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers were killed. Tensions have persisted despite talks.

Those tensions have seeped into how New Delhi looks at Moscow.

“Russia’s relations with China have been a matter of some concern for India in the context of Chinese increased assertiveness in the region,” D. Bala Venkatesh Verma, a former Indian ambassador to Russia, told the Associated Press.

But Modi is expected to seek to continue close relations with Russia, which is also a major defence supplier for India.

With Moscow’s arms industries mostly serving the Russian military’s needs amid the fighting in Ukraine, India has been diversifying its defence procurements, buying more from the U.S., Israel, France and Italy.

“Defense co-operation will clearly be a priority area,” Bajpaee said, adding that 60% of India’s military equipment and systems is “still of Russian origin.”

“We’ve seen some delay in the deliveries of spare parts … following the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” he said. “I believe both countries are due to conclude a military logistics agreement, which would pave the way for more defence exchanges.”

India has neither condemned nor condoned Russia’s military action in Ukraine, and has called for negotiations to end the hostilities. That has bolstered Putin’s efforts to counter what he calls the West’s domination of global affairs.

Following an arrest warrant issued in 2023 by the International Criminal Court for his actions in Ukraine, Putin’s foreign travel has been sparse in recent years, so Modi’s trip could help the Russian leader boost his clout.

“We kind of see Putin going on a nostalgia trip – you know, he was in Vietnam, he was in North Korea,” said Theresa Fallon, an analyst at the Center for Russia, Europe, Asia Studies. “In my view, he’s trying to demonstrate that he’s not a vassal to China, that he has options, that Russia is still a great power.”

Alexander Gabuev, head of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said that Putin’s interactions on the world stage show he “is far from isolated” and that Russia is not a country to be discounted.

Trade development also will figure strongly in the talks, particularly intentions to develop a maritime corridor between India’s major port of Chennai and Vladivostok, the gateway to Russia’s Far East.

India-Russia trade has seen a sharp increase, touching close to $65 billion in the 2023-24 financial year, due to strong energy co-operation, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra told reporters Friday.

Imports from Russia touched $60 billion and exports from India $4 billion in the 2023-24 financial year, Kwatra said. India’s financial year runs from April to March.

He said India was trying to correct the trade imbalance with Russia by increasing its exports. India’s top exports to Russia include drugs and pharmaceutical products, telecom instruments, iron and steel, marine products and machinery.

Its top imports from Russia include crude oil and petroleum products, coal and coke, pearls, precious and semi-precious stones, fertilizer, vegetable oil, gold and silver.

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For 75 years, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has underpinned the rules-based international order. As threats to peace and security become increasingly complex and attempts to destabilize our collective defence become more sophisticated, Canada and its NATO Allies are standing united – dedicated to defending democracy, security, and freedom.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced he will travel to Washington, D.C., United States of America, from July 8 to 11, 2024, to participate in this year’s NATO Summit.

The Summit will be an opportunity for the Prime Minister to reaffirm Canada’s commitment to Euro-Atlantic security and stability, particularly in the face of ongoing Russian aggression and destabilization. He will highlight Canada’s contributions to NATO’s collective defence efforts across Europe, including through  Operation REASSURANCE , Canada’s largest active overseas military deployment.

At the Summit, Prime Minister Trudeau will meet with NATO Allies and international partners to strengthen Euro-Atlantic security. Together, NATO leaders will explore ways to bolster collective deterrence and enhance defence capabilities and co-operation, while addressing other ongoing and emerging threats to the rules-based international order.

While in Washington, the Prime Minister will meet with members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives to advance opportunities for Canadian businesses, workers, and communities across the country – as part of our Team Canada effort to promote and defend Canada’s interests in and with the United States.

Prime Minister Trudeau and NATO Allies will be joined by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for a NATO-Ukraine Council meeting focused on enhancing support for Ukraine and further responding to Russia’s unjustifiable war of aggression. During this meeting, Prime Minister Trudeau will underline the importance of continued military, financial, and humanitarian support to Ukraine. Throughout his visit, the Prime Minister will reaffirm Canada’s commitment to strengthening shared defence priorities and security partnerships.

“The NATO Alliance stands steadfast – protecting freedom and in defence of democracy. NATO was founded 75 years ago, and Canada has been part of nearly every operation in the Alliance. At this year’s Summit, we will strengthen our work to uphold the global order that underpins our prosperity and sovereignty.” The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

Quick Facts

• At the NATO Summit, Prime Minister Trudeau will be joined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, and the Minister of National Defence, Bill Blair.
• This NATO Summit will be the first to include Sweden as a member of the Alliance. Sweden officially joined the Alliance in March 2024.
• The North Atlantic Treaty was signed in Washington, D.C., on April 4, 1949, establishing the NATO Alliance, of which Canada is a founding member.
• Supporting NATO assurance and deterrence measures in Central and Eastern Europe through  Operation REASSURANCE . With approximately 1,500 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members currently deployed, it is Canada’s largest international military operation. Canada has been leading the NATO multinational Battlegroup, soon to be Brigade, in Latvia since 2017. In July 2023, Prime Minister Trudeau announced the renewal and expansion of Operation REASSURANCE, committing $2.6 billion to a three-year mandate, with up to 2,200 CAF troops continuously deployed.
• Deploying His Majesty’s Canadian Ship Charlottetown to join and assume flagship duties of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) as part of Operation REASSURANCE in the Mediterranean Sea. The Royal Canadian Navy’s involvement in SNMG2 demonstrates Canada’s continued participation in NATO and strengthens military co-operation with our Allies and partners in the region.
• Hosting the NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence, in Montréal, Quebec, and NATO’s North American Regional Office of the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic, in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
• Continuing to support training and capacity-building efforts in the Middle East under  Operation IMPACT , including through NATO Mission Iraq, which was set up under Canadian command, and contributing to lasting security and stability in the country.
• Providing CAF personnel support to the NATO-led international peace support operation in Kosovo through  Operation KOBOLD .
• In Budget 2024 and Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence , the Government of Canada announced $8.1 billion over five years and $73 billion over 20 years in new defence spending. This builds on historic investments the federal government has made to date to support members of our Armed Forces, strengthen Canada’s defence capabilities, and respond to global challenges.
• Since 2022, Canada has committed over $19 billion in multifaceted support to Ukraine. This includes $4 billion in military aid and equipment donations, such as Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks and an armoured recovery vehicle, armoured combat support vehicles, anti-tank weapons, and other arms and equipment. Other assistance includes $12.4 billion in financial assistance, $352.5 million in humanitarian assistance, $442 million in development assistance, and over $210 million in security and stabilization programming.

Associated Links

• Canada and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
• Canada-United States relations
• Budget 2024: Fairness for every generation
• Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence
• NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence
• Canada’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine