Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy boosts military spending, visa processing

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The Liberal Party unveiled its long-awaited Indo-Pacific strategy on Sunday, announcing increased military spending and closer ties with countries such as India.

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The strategy allocates $2.3 billion for Canada to build closer ties with countries ranging from Pakistan to Japan.

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Foreign Secretary Melanie Jolie told reporters in Vancouver: “What you are seeing today is a reorientation of foreign policy that we haven’t seen in a long time.

“This sends a clear message to the community that Canada is here and they can trust us to stay here.”

New announcements include nearly $500 million to deploy more naval frigates in regions such as the South China Sea and conduct military exercises with countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Canada will also boost its visa processing capacity to improve a system plagued with delays that experts fear will move the region’s talented young people elsewhere.

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This includes visa offices in New Delhi and Chandigarh, India, Islamabad, Pakistan, and Manila, Philippines.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that he would invest $92.5 million to create about 60 new diplomatic jobs in the region, but the strategy did not state a target, and Jolie focused on that figure. did not specify whether the plans had changed.

However, this strategy requires not only expanding diplomatic staff in existing embassies, but also establishing new posts in places such as Hawaii and Fiji.

This is in addition to recently announced plans to expand trade ties with Southeast Asian nations as a means of countering China’s influence, including by funding infrastructure projects in developing countries.

“To secure the future of this economy, we need to have strong trade ties and partners around the world to protect jobs and businesses here at home,” International Trade Minister Mary Ng said at a press conference. Stated.

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Ottawa will also send 200 experts to advise countries wishing to work with Canada on everything from governance to ocean management to the transition away from fossil fuels.

During a recent visit to Asia, Prime Minister Trudeau revealed that he would fund a Canadian and Asian team to form energy partnerships, trade missions and Canada’s first regional agriculture office.

The funding announced on Sunday spans five years in recent weeks, with no annual rollout benchmark.

Jolie made the announcement in Vancouver alongside Ng, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray and International Development Minister Harjit Sajan, who heads BC’s Economic Development Authority in Ottawa.

Defense Minister Anita Anand will speak to reporters late Sunday.

The liberals will have officials detail their strategies at Monday’s technology briefing. These events usually take place before ministerial announcements.