Canadian Prime Minister met with his Japanese counterpart during a visit to Tokyo. Mark Carney and Sanae Takaichi reaffirmed their ambition to strengthen ties in defense, cybersecurity, and strategic supplies.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney took advantage of a brief stopover in Japan on Friday evening to meet with his counterpart Sanae Takaichi and discuss strengthening ties between the two countries, particularly in terms of security and the economy. In Tokyo, Carney concluded a tour where he also visited India to finalize agreements on critical minerals and uranium supply and Australia, where he spoke about the war in the Middle East.
Speaking in Japanese, English, and French, Mark Carney, who is set to return to Canada on Saturday, spoke about a partnership involving “six priority areas.” “Firstly, and most importantly, we are strengthening our cooperation in security and defense through information sharing, technology transfers, and cooperation in maritime security,” he said, also mentioning issues related to “cybersecurity.”
“Linking the Trans-Pacific Partnership to the European Union’s trade bloc”
On the economic front, the Canadian Prime Minister hopes that the two countries will enhance their economic security through robust supply chains and strategic, coherent technologies, citing reliable access to space communications, semiconductors, rare earths, AI, and sovereign cloud computing.
He also promises to “strengthen trade relations and investments and aims to “link the Trans-Pacific Partnership to the European Union’s trade bloc” without providing details. Among other priorities, Mark Carney mentioned “energy and food security,” “climate,” and “interpersonal exchanges” between the two nations.
During his visit to Australia this week, he spoke about the conflict in the Middle East, stating that American-Israeli strikes against Iran seemed “incompatible with international law,” while also welcoming a change in political power in Tehran and supporting efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. On Thursday, he did not rule out his country’s military participation in the escalating war in the Middle East.
“Reducing dependence on the United States”
In Australia, he reiterated his call, made at the Davos World Economic Forum at the end of January, for “middle powers” to unite to face “hegemonic forces.” As a staunch supporter of the rules-based international order, Japan – another major power comparable to Canada – finds itself in a delicate position in the international context.
Japan is a close ally of the United States, which maintains around 60,000 troops there and whose support is essential as China increasingly asserts its power in the region. The fourth-largest economy in the world, Japan is also the fifth-largest importer of oil, about 70% of which passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has virtually closed off.
Historically delicate relations between Japan and China have become strained since the Japanese prime minister suggested in November that Tokyo might intervene militarily in the event of an attack on Taiwan, a rule over which Beijing claims sovereignty. Relations between China and Canada are also complicated: Mark Carney visited China in January and signed a trade agreement after years of reciprocal arrests and trade disputes. The Canadian Prime Minister’s tour is part of efforts to reduce Canada’s excessive dependence on its American neighbor under the Trump administration.
“Japan is a natural partner for Carney’s ambition ‘to be at the table, not on the menu,'” said Yee Kuang Heng, professor of international security at the University of Tokyo.
