Toronto (Canada), Nov 28 (EFE).- Canada has presented a strategic plan for the Indo-Pacific that envisions increasing its military presence in the region and strengthening its position against China, a country it describes as “a increasingly disruptive world
The 26-page document, released late Sunday by Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, signals a tightening of Canada’s relations with China.
China responded today by criticizing Canadian authorities, saying the plan is “riddled with ideological bias”.
The document assures that China’s goal is to become the predominant power in the region through its economic influence, its diplomatic impact, its offensive military capabilities and its advanced technologies.
Canada believes that Beijing is investing “on a massive scale” so that the region and the rest of the world can adapt to its needs.
“China is focused on shaping the international order in a more tolerant environment for interests and values that increasingly diverge from our own,” the Canadian strategic plan added.
The plan commits to spending C$500 million (approximately $370 million) over the next five years to improve military and intelligence cooperation with Ottawa’s allies in the region.
Senior Canadian officials who discussed the contents of the plan with reporters on Monday said it contains tools to deepen relations with Japan and South Korea in the North Pacific, a region they call “Canada’s neighborhood.”
In addition to increasing its military presence in the Pacific, Canada said it will strengthen its rules on foreign investment to protect Canadian intellectual property and prevent state-owned Chinese companies from taking control of key raw materials.
The release of the Indo-Pacific Strategic Roadmap comes as Sino-Canadian relations are at their lowest point in decades.
Ottawa and Beijing have exchanged criticism and retaliation since Canadian police detained Meng Wanzhou, a Chinese national who is Huawei’s chief financial officer and daughter of the Chinese tech company’s founder, in December 2018 at the request of the United States.
After Meng’s arrest, China arrested two Canadian citizens, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, and charged them with espionage.
Meng, Spavor and Kovrig regained their freedom in September 2021 following a tripartite agreement between Canada, the United States and China. But diplomatic relations between Canada and China have never been restored.
(c) EFE Agency
