Key Points
- Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy acknowledges the China Challenge, with strong language on China’s actions in the region.
- India is a central player in the Indo-Pacific, but the strategy lacks a significant focus on military cooperation at this point.
- India has the potential to be a valuable player in the region’s supply chain, but it needs to enhance its capacity and engagement further.
- Canada is keen on shaping the region positively and recognizes the need for active engagement, despite being a late actor in the Indo-Pacific.
- The interview concluded with optimism about the potential for India-Canada ties, especially with Prime Minister Trudeau’s upcoming visit to India for the G20.
NHS Media had the honor of hosting Dr. Aditi Malhotra, the editor-in-chief of the Canadian Army Journal, on his show. Dr. Malhotra’s impressive background includes work as a co-editor of the Journal for Intelligence, Propaganda, and Security Studies in Australia and Austria. She holds a PhD in political science and is known for her exceptional research and writing contributions. During the interview, Dr. Malhotra discussed Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy and its relation to India.
Dr. Malhotra began by noting that Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy is a recent development compared to other Western nations. However, the strategy highlights two crucial aspects. Firstly, it acknowledges the China Challenge and discusses China’s active pursuit of economic and strategic interests, its unilateral claims, foreign interference, and coercive treatment of regional actors in the Indo-Pacific. Secondly, the strategy recognizes that events in the region significantly impact Canada’s prosperity and regional security. Canada aims to be a constructive and active player in the region to shape it positively.
Regarding India’s role, Dr. Malhotra mentioned that India is considered a central player in the Indo-Pacific. Canada-India relations have improved in recent years, and both countries recognize the potential for greater cooperation and convergence of interests. The strategy emphasizes strategic engagement, people-to-people ties, access to markets, and investments with India. However, it lacks a substantial focus on military and defense cooperation at this point.
Responding to the question of various countries’ Indo-Pacific Doctrines and their impact on India’s engagement. Dr. Malhotra highlighted that multiple countries are pursuing diverse formats of engagement with the region. She cautioned against expecting all countries to unite under a single platform, emphasizing the importance of focusing on functional cooperation rather than merely being part of a structure. India is open to engaging with different partners based on its strategic opportunities, and its confidence in dealing with various actors has grown. While India primarily prefers bilateral engagements, it is increasingly involved in multilateral forums, and this trend is likely to continue.
The discussion shifted to non-traditional security challenges, with Dr. Malhotra emphasizing that Canada’s strategy recognizes the significance of these challenges. The strategy emphasizes capacity building, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief in the region. Canada is keen on bolstering supply chain resilience and collaborating with other countries. India, with its labor manpower, holds potential for the region’s supply chain, but it needs to enhance its capacity and engagement further to fully benefit from these opportunities.
While talking about Canada’s engagement with India given their historically lukewarm relations. Dr. Malhotra highlighted that Canada is becoming increasingly conscious of its relevance in the region and is keen on constructive engagement. Canada aims to shape the region’s future in a manner that benefits its interests, and it recognizes the need to be involved actively despite being a late actor in the Indo-Pacific.
The interview concluded with optimism about the potential for India-Canada ties, especially given Prime Minister Trudeau’s upcoming visit to India for the G20. The Indian diaspora in Canada plays a significant role as a positive force in enhancing soft power and connecting the two countries. The future impact of Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy on India and other nations remains to be seen.
