China Resumes Defense Talks with Canada, Which Is in Conflict with the United States, After Eight Years: “Strengthening Military Cooperation”

[Financial News] China has resumed official dialogue between defense authorities with Canada, which is engaged in trade tensions with the United States, for the first time in eight years and expressed its intention to strengthen military exchanges and cooperation.
According to the Chinese Ministry of National Defense on the 6th, China and Canada held their fifth defense ministry working-level talks in Canada on the 4th.
The Chinese Ministry of National Defense said the two sides candidly and thoroughly exchanged views on international and regional issues of common interest and expressed a strong willingness to strengthen substantive exchanges and cooperation between their militaries. It also explained that the talks enhanced mutual understanding and trust.
The defense ministry working-level talks between China and Canada were held for the first time in more than eight years since April 2018.
The Chinese Ministry of National Defense did not disclose who attended the talks.
However, Yang Zhibin, commander of the People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command and a senior general, attended the Indo-Pacific Defense Chiefs Conference held last week in Victoria, British Columbia. During the conference, Yang also met separately with Sam Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, to exchange views on relations between the two militaries and issues of common interest.
China and Canada launched a consultation mechanism between their defense authorities in 2013. However, defense dialogue was suspended after relations deteriorated in 2018 following the arrest in Canada of Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of Huawei's founder and a vice chairwoman of the company.
Even during that period, some contact between the defense ministers of the two countries continued.
Bill Blair, then Canada's defense minister, held talks with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in 2024 on the occasion of the Shangri-La Dialogue, held in Singapore.
The resumption of defense dialogue came as China and Canada have recently accelerated efforts to improve relations.
Since Mark Carney became prime minister, the two countries have resumed high-level exchanges and expanded direct flights, while also showing signs of easing trade tensions over agricultural products and electric vehicles.
As China and Canada have restored a dialogue channel between their military authorities following diplomatic and economic channels, observers are speculating that efforts to improve bilateral relations may be expanding into the security sphere.
However, the prevailing assessment is that significant differences remain between China and Canada over security issues, including Taiwan.
A Royal Canadian Navy frigate passed through the Taiwan Strait in May, prompting China to respond, "We oppose using freedom of navigation as a pretext to undermine China's sovereignty and security."
Meanwhile, tensions between Canada and the United States have recently been rising over trade and other issues.
The United States began imposing a 50% tariff last month on Canadian imports worth approximately $20 billion, while Canada responded with retaliatory tariffs of the same scale on U.S. products, causing trade tensions between the two countries to escalate.

[email protected] International Affairs Specialist Lee Seok-woo Reporter