Canada is fortifying a long-standing front in its ongoing battle with protectionist impulses in the United States: resurrecting the Second World War-era notion of the two continental allies working together to stockpile the arsenal of democracy.
Defence Minister Anita Anand and Economic Development Minister Fran莽ois-Philippe Champagne are joining forces in the U.S. capital, selling the idea that CanadaB次元官网网址檚 nascent critical minerals industry makes it an ideal partner in fortifying a North American defence industrial base.
The appearance last week of what U.S. officials say was a Chinese surveillance balloon travelling through the continentB次元官网网址檚 airspace drives home the importance of the two countries working together on national security, the pair said in an interview.
Gen. Glen VanHerck, commander of the binational defence system known as Norad, acknowledged Monday that it wasnB次元官网网址檛 the first such balloon to enter U.S. airspace B次元官网网址� and that previous incursions went undetected, exposing a B次元官网网址渄omain awareness gapB次元官网网址� that needs closing.
B次元官网网址淢ost definitely, this incident demonstrates the need to invest in our continental defence, which is exactly what weB次元官网网址檙e doing,B次元官网网址� Anand said, citing the ongoing, $40-billion effort to upgrade a system military leaders have long insisted is desperately outdated.
ThereB次元官网网址檚 no evidence that any previous Chinese balloons spotted over the U.S. B次元官网网址� at least four of them, reportedly, including three while Donald Trump was president and another since Joe Biden took over B次元官网网址� entered Canadian airspace, she added.
B次元官网网址淲e will certainly ensure that our close relationship with the United States continues, in order to contribute to the overall protection and security of the North American continent.B次元官网网址�
Anand, who has been talking about Norad modernization since becoming defence minister in October 2021, offered few details on the timeline, except to say that work on infrastructure upgrades and state-of-the-art B次元官网网址渙ver the horizonB次元官网网址� radar systems is already underway.
B次元官网网址淭hese are massive investments,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲e will have more details to share soon on how various projects are moving forward.B次元官网网址�
It was in the superheated blast furnace of the Second World War, with both countries still reeling from the aftermath of the Great Depression and suddenly called upon to develop a collective war effort, that the modern-day industrial ties between Canada and the U.S. were forged.
Today, following the COVID-19 pandemic, the global push to back Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia B次元官网网址攃ombined with the western worldB次元官网网址檚 sudden scramble to end its dependence on China for semiconductors, critical minerals and rare earth metals B次元官网网址� has created an ominous echo.
B次元官网网址淲hen you talk to CEOs around the world, they tell you that geopolitics is almost half of the talk they have at their board meetings now, because if you make the wrong pick, that could have devastating consequences,B次元官网网址� Champagne said.
B次元官网网址淎t a time where nations are striving to build resiliency in their supply chains, I think Canada and the United States stand out in the world with the most integrated supply chain.B次元官网网址�
The two ministers spoke just hours before BidenB次元官网网址檚 second state of the union address Tuesday evening, a raucous, combative speech that not only showcased AmericaB次元官网网址檚 partisan divisions, but demonstrated that with a presidential election in the offing, the politics of protectionism are alive and well in the White House.
B次元官网网址淏uy American has been the law since 1933. But for too long, past administrations B次元官网网址� Democrat and Republican B次元官网网址� have fought to get around it. Not anymore,B次元官网网址� the president said to spirited applause.
He also promised new rules for federal infrastructure projects that would require all construction materials B次元官网网址� not just iron and steel, but copper, aluminum, lumber, glass, drywall and fibre-optic cable B次元官网网址� be made in the U.S.
B次元官网网址淥n my watch, American roads, American bridges and American highways will be made with American products.B次元官网网址�
That kind of rhetoric may be why, with Canada already enshrined as an important supplier to U.S. defence procurement, Ottawa is redoubling its focus on promoting bilateral military co-operation.
B次元官网网址淐anada has this vibrant ecosystem of suppliers (that) produce high-quality and reliable parts and components and systems and subsystems. And those systems all enable major weapons platforms,B次元官网网址� Anand said.
B次元官网网址淲e are at a time in the global economic environment where the demand for munitions and the demand for military equipment and supplies is vastly exceeding supply. We need to make sure that Canada is well-positioned to ensure that we can maintain these stable supply chains.B次元官网网址�
The two ministers will arrive in D.C. late Wednesday for meetings with major U.S. contractors like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon and General Dynamics, and will also sit down with key lawmakers on Capitol Hill to remind them how much Canadian content already supports the American military.
On Friday, theyB次元官网网址檒l take part in a panel discussion at the Wilson Center on fostering national security and economic prosperity.
B次元官网网址淭his is a time where B次元官网网址� the aerospace and defence industry in particular need to look north,B次元官网网址� Champagne said.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e going there to say, B次元官网网址楲isten, this is an opportunity to team up together, to do more together, innovate more and sell more together.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2023.
James McCarten, The Canadian Press
