
Anand heads for Malaysia, Japan as part of Carney's Indo-Pacific trade, defence strategy
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Anand will meet with her Japanese counterpart in Tokyo this week as the two finalize an agreement on sharing defence information and boosting trade.
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On Thursday and Friday, Anand will take part in a meeting with the Association of South East Asian Nations, or ASEAN, in Malaysia.
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Canada is looking to sign a trade deal with the ASEAN bloc this year, and in 2023 entered into a strategic partnership with the bloc that's expected to lead to business expansion, educational exchanges and projects combating biological threats.
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Carney has largely focused on defence, security and trade ties with European nations in his first months in office, though he did sign a deal with Australia for an Arctic radar system.
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Former prime minister Justin Trudeau's government launched an Indo-Pacific strategy in 2022, seeking more trade and defence ties as a means to counter dependence on China.
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In a report on the strategy's implementation published last week, Global Affairs Canada says it has posted more than 70 new diplomats across the region since the strategy was launched.
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Kai Ostwald, a University of British Columbia political scientist, wrote in a recent analysis that Canada is building its brand in Southeast Asia through visits by the prime minister and a series of educational and trade delegations.
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He wrote for the Asia Pacific Foundation that interest in Canada has been boosted by U.S. President Donald Trump pushing away from multilateralism and international trade.
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'Even if Canada cannot offer clarity on the path ahead, many in the region want it at the table as an interlocutor and sounding board while they navigate the turbulence,' Ostwald wrote.
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He said Canada can benefit from being seen as a middle power that hasn't colonized other countries, particularly if it can articulate a China policy that is cautious but not adversarial.
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Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Pomp, pageantry and politesse greet French PM Macron in display of British royals' soft power
LONDON (AP) — The French Tricolor and Britain's Union flag hang from the standards near Windsor Castle. The carriages are primed, the tiaras polished. French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, arrived in Britain on Tuesday at the start of a state visit as the two countries highlight their long friendship with conspicuous displays of military pomp, golden carriages and royal toasts. The backdrop for day one is Windsor Castle, a royal fortress for over 900 years that remains a working palace today. Prince William and the Princess of Wales greeted the Macron's at RAF Northolt outside London. King Charles III later formally welcomed the couple later at Windsor Castle, where they rode in a horse-drawn carriage and reviewed a military guard of honor. The first day will end with a state banquet at the castle. Charles and Queen Camilla traveled to France in September 2023 in a visit that highlighted the historic ties between Britain and its closest European neighbor. That royal trip came after years of sometimes prickly relations strained by Britain's exit from the European Union and disagreements over the growing number of migrants crossing the English Channel on small boats. President Macron's arrival in Britain marks the first state visit by a French head of state since President Nicolas Sarkozy traveled to London in 2008. What's happening State visits are ceremonial meetings between heads of state that are used to honor friendly nations and sometimes smooth relations between rivals. While the king formally issues the invitation for a state visit, he does so on the advice of the elected government. State visits to Britain are particularly prized by heads of state because they come with a full complement of royal pomp and circumstance, including military reviews, carriage rides and a glittering state banquet hosted by the monarch. The events normally take place in and around Buckingham Palace in central London. But the Macrons will stay at Windsor Castle, to the west of the capital. Buckingham Palace is undergoing extensive remodeling. 'Cherry on the top' This is just the fifth state visit since King Charles ascended the throne in September 2022. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had the honor of receiving the first invitation for a state visit during the new king's reign and spent three days in Britain in November 2022. The leaders of Qatar, Japan and South Korea have also received the full royal treatment. More controversially, Charles has invited U.S. President Donald Trump to make an unprecedented second state visit to Britain, which is expected to take place in the autumn. While Prime Minister Keir Starmer is trying to bolster relations with the U.S., some U.K. lawmakers have questioned whether Trump should be awarded such an honor after he torpedoed long-standing norms for global trade, refused to condemn Russian aggression in Ukraine and proposed moving Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip. 'An invitation for a state visit is highly prized amongst world leaders,'' said Craig Prescott, a constitutional law expert at Royal Holloway, University of London, who focuses on the political role of the monarchy. 'Now, it won't necessarily turn an enemy into an ally, but it can be part of that broader diplomatic move to maybe get the best out of someone. 'It's that cherry on the top, but at times it could be a very valuable cherry.' Queen Elizabeth II, Charles' mother, hosted 112 state visits during her seven decades on the throne. Pomp and ceremony State visits are nothing if not a showcase for the British military, which has a global reputation for putting on displays of spit-and-polish precision by soldiers wearing their iconic scarlet tunics and bearskin hats. Active duty troops who rotate from operational assignments to ceremonial duties put in thousands of hours of training to ensure everything goes off without a hitch. Some 950 service members from all branches of the U.K. military will take part in the ceremonies, including 380 on street-lining duties and 180 in the Guard of Honor at Windsor Castle. Six military bands will perform a selection of both British and French music. The display is seen by the British government as a nod to close defense and diplomatic ties but also hints at the ambition for the visit, which may see new defense and security commitments. But one horse will get special attention. The Macrons will visit Fabuleu de Maucour, a horse given by the French leader to the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, when the nation celebrated the Platinum Jubilee marking her 70 years on the throne. Lingua franca Count on the French language to be used both in private and in public. King Charles made a point of speaking French when he addressed lawmakers in the Senate chamber in Paris on the second day of his visit to France in 2023. During that speech, the king said the alliance between Britain and France was more important than ever as he recalled how the two nations had worked together to defeat the Nazi regime. Charles was a frequent visitor to France before becoming king, making 35 official visits to the country as heir to the throne.


Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
The EU presidency says Europe must rearm within 5 years. It's unclear how that could be done.
BRUSSELS (AP) — Russia could pose a credible security threat to the European Union by the end of the decade and defense industries in Europe and Ukraine must be ramped up within five years in preparation, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned on Tuesday. In a speech to the European Parliament marking the launch of Denmark's six-month term as holder of the EU presidency, Frederiksen lamented that 'cutting our defense spending in the past 30 years was a huge mistake.' European officials have warned that President Vladimir Putin could soon try to test NATO's Article 5 security guarantee — the pledge that an attack on any one ally would be met with a collective response from all 32. Most of the allies are EU countries. Russia has been accused of acts of sabotage, cyberattacks and fake news campaigns – largely to weaken European support for Ukraine – and while Europe is not at war, it is not at peace either, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has said. 'Russia's military rearming means that they could, within two to five years, pose a credible military threat to Europe and NATO,' Frederiksen told EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, France. 'Strengthening Europe's defense industry is an absolute top priority, and we have to be able to defend ourselves by 2030 at the latest,' she said. 'Never, ever should we allow Europe to be put in a position again where we cannot defend ourselves.' Many European leaders insist they have heard the Trump administration's warning that American security priorities now lie elsewhere – in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific – but Europe's effort to arm is moving only slowly. When NATO's ambitions are not enough At a key summit last month, NATO leaders endorsed a statement saying: 'Allies commit to invest 5% of GDP annually on core defense requirements as well as defense- and security-related spending by 2035 to ensure our individual and collective obligations.' That historic pledge will require them to spend tens of billions of euros (dollars) more over the coming decade, not five years. Spain – NATO's lowest spender with 1.28% of GDP last year – quickly branded the target 'unreasonable.' The goal has sparked debate in Slovenia – which spent 1.37% of GDP last year – about whether to hold referendums on defense spending and even on NATO membership itself. Belgium has cast doubt over whether it will make the grade. Heavyweights France and Italy are mired in economic woes and will struggle to get there too. Money spent on military support to Ukraine can now be included in NATO's defense calculations, but even that accounting boost will not hike the GDP military spend by much. The EU's Readiness 2030 plan With the threat of Russian aggression at the forefront of its concerns, the EU's executive branch has come up with a security plan. It hinges on a 150-billion-euro ($176 billion) loan program that member countries, Ukraine and outsiders like Britain could dip into. It aims to fill gaps that the U.S. might leave. Spending priorities for joint purchase include air and missile defense systems, artillery, ammunition, drones, equipment for use in cyber and electronic warfare, and 'strategic enablers' like air-to-air refueling and transport. Countries are urged to buy much of their military equipment in Europe, working mostly with European suppliers — in some cases with EU help to cut prices and speed up orders. This is partly to create jobs in the European defense sector and partly to reduce reliance on American systems. On Tuesday, 15 EU countries were permitted to take advantage of another measure — a 'national escape clause' — to allow them to spend more on defense without breaking the bloc's debt rules. To help Ukraine fend off the Russian invasion, the plan aims to provide at least two million artillery rounds each year; supply more air defense systems, missiles and drones; and train tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops annually. Beefing up Ukraine's defense industry is also a pillar. The country produces arms and ammunition faster and more cheaply than its EU partners. Kyiv estimates that 40% more of its industrial capacity could be exploited if Europe were to invest. Still, ambition is one thing, and the reality another. 'Things are not moving fast enough to be able to defend ourselves in 5 years,' Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told reporters last week. 'It's a huge, huge challenge to reach that goal.' On the need to take risks A big part of the problem is that governments and the defense industry are stuck in old ways of thinking and neither wants to take a risk, even with Europe's biggest land war in many decades still raging in its fourth year. 'You cannot expect industry to invest in production capacity if you don't have long-term orders,' said Joachim Finkielman, the director of Danish Defense and Security Industries. 'If you need to build new factories, if you need to engage a larger workforce, you need to make sure that you have that,' he told The Associated Press on Friday. Demand for 155mm artillery shells is a typical example, Finkielman said. 'When you see the kinds of orders that have been placed around Europe, it is two to three years out in time,' he said, while industry needs five to 10 years' worth of orders to take a chance. Finkielman said that if governments and industries in Britain, France, Germany and Italy start to move, 'the rest will follow.' When they might do so is unclear. 'The problem is, we are confronted with a peace-time logic in a situation where there is war in Europe,' he said.


Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
A look at the countries that received Trump's tariff letters
President Donald Trump sent letters to 14 countries Monday outlining higher tariffs they'll face if they don't make trade deals with the U.S. by Aug. 1. In the letters, which were posted on Truth Social, Trump warned countries that they would face even higher tariffs if they retaliated by increasing their own import taxes. Here's a look at the countries that got tariff letters Monday: Myanmar Tariff rate: 40% Key exports to the U.S.: Clothing, leather goods, seafood Laos Tariff rate: 40% Key exports to the U.S.: Shoes with textile uppers, wood furniture, electronic components, optical fiber Cambodia Tariff rate: 36% Key exports to the U.S.: Textiles, clothing, shoes, bicycles Thailand Tariff rate: 36% Key exports to the U.S.: Computer parts, rubber products and gemstones Response: Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Pichai Chunhavajira said Thailand will continue to push for tariffs negotiations with the United States. Thailand on Sunday submitted a new proposal that includes opening the Thai market for more American agricultural and industrial products and increasing imports of energy and aircraft. Bangladesh Tariff rate: 35% Key export to the U.S.: Clothing Response: Bangladesh's finance adviser Salehuddin Ahmed said Bangladesh hopes to negotiate for a better outcome. There are concerns that additional tariffs would make Bangladesh's garment exports less competitive with countries like Vietnam and India. Serbia Tariff rate: 35% Key exports to the U.S.: Software and IT services; car tires Indonesia Tariff rate: 32% Key exports to the U.S.: Palm oil, cocoa butter, semiconductors Bosnia and Herzegovina Tariff rate: 30% Key exports to the U.S.: Weapons and ammunition South Africa Tariff rate: 30% Key exports to the U.S.: Platinum, diamonds, vehicles and auto parts Response: The office of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement that the tariff rates announced by Trump mischaracterized the trade relationship with the U.S., but it would 'continue with its diplomatic efforts towards a more balanced and mutually beneficial trade relationship with the United States' after having proposed a trade framework on May 20. Japan Tariff rate: 25% Key exports to the U.S.: Autos, auto parts, electronics Response: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba called the tariff 'extremely regrettable' but said he was determined to continue negotiating. Ishiba said Trump's tariff rate is lower than the levels he had threatened earlier and opens the way for further negotiations. Kazakhstan Tariff rate: 25% Key exports to the U.S.: Oil, uranium, ferroalloys and silver Malaysia Tariff rate: 25% Key exports to the U.S.: Electronics and electrical products Response: Malaysia's government said it will pursue talks with the U.S. A cabinet meeting is scheduled for Wednesday. South Korea Tariff rate: 25% Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Key exports to the U.S.: Vehicles, machinery, electronics Response: South Korea's Trade Ministry said early Tuesday that it will accelerate negotiations with the United States to achieve a deal before the 25% tax on its exports goes into effect. Tunisia Tariff rate: 25% Key exports to the U.S.: Animal and vegetable fats, clothing, fruit and nuts