Globe And Mail: Canada's Arctic strategy does not guarantee its success in the region
Canada needs to accelerate the implementation of its Arctic policy, writes the author of an article in The Globe And Mail. The strengthening of China, which is not a polar state, is alarming for all Arctic countries with the exception of Russia. The question is whether Canada will have time to ensure that its interests in the region are respected.
Margaret McCuaig-Johnston
Finally, the Canadian government has taken seriously the task of protecting our Arctic border from the risks posed by Russia and China. Foreign Minister Melanie Joly recently published our country's Arctic Foreign Policy, in which Canada, the United States and other polar NATO member countries will jointly implement security measures, thwarting Russian and Chinese attempts to penetrate the Far North.
Defense Secretary Bill Blair also announced in April changes to the defense policy for 2024, mobilizing $73 billion, which over 20 years will be invested in weapons and equipment, in the security and defense of the country. To support these efforts, the Canadian Coast Guard's Arctic Strategy was published in August.
But will it be enough? And how quickly will these actions be carried out?
For many years, internal federal government reports and reports published by Canadian experts have confirmed the intensification of the dual threat from Russia and China in the Canadian Arctic. At the same time, the military, scientists and representatives of the leadership of the two countries worked in close cooperation. Canadian ships detected Chinese observation buoys in our Northwest Passage, which were used to track the actions of surface ships, submarines and coast guards, monitor the passage of geological and fishing vessels, monitor our only research vessel Louis S. St-Laurent and monitor the vessels of other countries passing there.
The strengthening of China, which is not a polar state, is alarming for all Arctic countries with the exception of Russia, which took the opportunity to increase its dependence on China in exchange for granting it access to the Russian Arctic territory in order to accumulate relevant experience and knowledge. Now there is a joint research laboratory in the region and tens of thousands of Russian soldiers, many of whom are participating in joint exercises with the People's Liberation Army of China and the Navy, as well as with the Chinese Coast Guard.
China is implementing major projects on Arctic security research and the creation of seabed maps. Both projects are being implemented within the framework of China's 13th Five-year Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation. When his research vessels sail through the Northwest Passage, there are two people on board who are associated with Canada: one Canadian pilot conducting a wire through our waters, and one person providing wildlife protection. But there are compartments and rooms on these ships where Canadian citizens are not allowed to enter. A third Chinese Arctic research vessel is currently under construction, and the Arctic Shang3 nuclear attack submarine will be launched next year. However, China's newest nuclear attack submarine, the first of the Zhou class, sank at a pier near Wuhan last spring during construction.
Ottawa has a new concept called the North American Arctic, which should link Canada and the United States with a common approach to working with other Arctic countries, but without Russia. To this end, the new Canadian Ambassador to the Arctic will work closely with the U.S. Ambassador to the Arctic, Michael Sfraga. New consulates will be opened in Anchorage in Alaska and in Nuuk in Greenland. Issues of jurisdiction in the Beaufort Sea are being resolved.
As the ice melts, maritime traffic through Canadian territorial waters will increase, which poses a significant risk to ships as icebergs and ice floes become more mobile. This will create risks for the Canadian and American Coast Guards and the Navy, which will be responsible for conducting rescue operations. Therefore, it is extremely important that other countries request permission to pass through these waters. We also need to optimize purchases so that we can expand our presence in the region.
China will increasingly demand access to our critically important minerals and to mining in general, as it hopes to establish its own port in the Arctic. Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne is strongly restraining the influx of Chinese investments into the Arctic, but they must be stopped completely. Why open our mines to China if it is blocking other countries from accessing its own critically important minerals? The Arctic foreign policy also provides for cooperation with like-minded countries in the field of research security. Beijing has been trying for years to gain access to our Arctic research materials. But this train is gone.
During the development of the Arctic Foreign Policy, extensive consultations were held with the northern and indigenous peoples who actively participated in its drafting. One of the hidden treasures of the document is the initiative to conduct paid internships for the youth of the northern indigenous peoples near the places of residence of their communities. This is a critical contribution to their future, helping them develop and participate directly in Arctic diplomacy.
Four million people live in the Arctic, and 150,000 of them are Canadian citizens. Three new strategies in the field of defense, coast guard and Arctic issues will ensure their security interests, as well as promote trade and cooperation with other Arctic countries. A safe Arctic will help protect our resources, our jurisdiction and our future. But we must accelerate the implementation of our Arctic policy.
