Canada and Japan Promote Peace, Stability in Indo-Pacific; Canada Looks Forward to Strengthening Close Ties with Japan

By Bill Blair / Minister of National Defence of Canada

6:00 JST, September 15, 2024

Minister of National Defence of Canada Bill Blair visited Japan recently to strengthen security cooperation between the two countries. This was the first visit to Japan by a Canadian defense minister since 2019. Blair contributed to the following piece to The Japan News.

It was an honor and a privilege to be in Japan this past week, meeting with Defense Minister Minoru Kihara to strengthen our defense cooperation during this precarious time of global instability.

While like-minded nations work to deter actors who seek to unilaterally change the international order that underpins the world’s relative stability and prosperity, it is critical to know we can rely on one another to uphold our shared values and collective security.

That is why, as a Pacific nation, Canada launched its Indo-Pacific Strategy in 2022 and committed to increasing its activities and engagement in the region to promote peace, resilience and security.

Japan is at the core of regional dynamics and is a crucial partner for Canada. As such, we are actively seeking to expand our defense relations. I am proud to report that since launching our strategy, Canada has been engaged through meaningful and consistent military contributions. In the last 18 months, you have seen approximately 1,500 Canadian Armed Forces members deployed to Japan. Among many initiatives, we have conducted seven port visits, with more planned in the year ahead. We have also participated in multilateral military exercises with Japan, including a cooperative deployment in the South China Sea in June, and increased our cooperation across the land, sea, air, cyber, and space domains. This larger presence means that our sailors, soldiers and aviators now see each other more often, and are learning from each other’s expertise.

I am thankful to Japan for supporting a greater Canadian presence in the region. Operating out of Japan to conduct our monitoring mission in support of U.N. Security Council sanctions against North Korea and sailing together on Exercise Pacific Vanguard are great examples of that. Indeed, the expanding military cooperation between North Korea and Russia provides a clear reminder that Indo-Pacific security and global security are increasingly linked.

Canadians are proudly committed to our growing relationship with Japan. I am grateful for Minister Kihara’s friendship, guidance and hospitality. I look forward to continuing our work together to strengthen our close ties and ensuring that the Indo-Pacific remains free, open, and inclusive for all.