Canada boosts Indo-Pacific naval deployments, military engagements

SINGAPORE — Canada is pledging to step up its military posture in the Indo-Pacific, with its defense minister announcing the nation will annually commit to the region an additional warship.

This will boost the size of the Royal Canadian Navy’s annual deployment to the Indo-Pacific from two to three ships, according to defense minister Anita Anand, who added that the deployment would grow Canada’s regional presence, particularly in the Indian Ocean.

Anand was speaking here at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies – Asia and taking place this weekend.

The frigate HCMS Montreal and support ship MV Asterix, which is a privately owned commercial support ship leased to the Canadian government, will be joined in the region later this summer when two frigates based on Canada’s Pacific coast will be deployed. Anand said the Canadian ships will sail in the South and East China Sea as well as the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law.

“This is a clear signal that of Canada’s commitment to working with allied and partner navies towards regional peace, stability and prosperity,” Anand said.

The new Canadian deployments fall under Operation Horizon and replace Operation Projection, which is Canada’s main Indo-Pacific military mission.

The Canadian military is also slated to step up interactions and cooperation with regional and allied nations, including growing its participation in bilateral and multilateral exercises as detailed in its recently released Indo-Pacific Strategy.

Canada will also continue participating in Operation Neon, its contribution to the monitoring of United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea. Canada has sent ships, personnel and regular deployments of CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft to Operation Neon.

Anand also criticized China, calling it a “disruptive global power that increasingly disregards international rules and norms.”

However, she still expressed openness toward dialogue with China, saying that while Canada will “challenge China where we ought to, we will cooperate with China to find solutions on global issues.”

Anand’s speech came as Canada announced the frigate Montreal transited through the Taiwan Strait together with the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Chung-Hoon. The frigate had sailed from Canada’s Atlantic coast in late March, entering the region from the west via the Strait of Gibraltar and Suez Canal.

Canada’s Global News subsequently reported a Chinese Navy ship cut across the path of the American destroyer during the Taiwan Strait transit, forcing the American ship to slow down and take evasive action with the Canadian ship’s commander quoted as calling the Chinese maneuver “not professional.”

Mike Yeo is the Asia correspondent for Defense News.

新加坡——加拿大承诺加强其在印太地区的军事部署，其国防部长宣布，加拿大将每年向该地区增派一艘军舰。

加拿大国防部长阿妮塔·阿南德表示，这将使加拿大皇家海军每年向印太地区部署的舰艇数量从两艘增加到三艘，她还补充说，此次部署将增强加拿大在该地区的影响力，尤其是在印度洋地区。

阿南德是在本周末举行的由国际战略研究所亚洲分所主办的年度香格里拉对话会上发表上述讲话的。

今年夏季晚些时候，加拿大太平洋沿岸的两艘护卫舰也将部署到该地区，届时，加拿大海军“蒙特利尔”号护卫舰和“阿斯特里克斯”号支援舰（一艘租赁给加拿大政府的私营商业支援舰）将与它们会合。阿南德表示，加拿大舰艇将根据国际法在南海、东海和台湾海峡航行。

阿南德表示：“这清楚地表明了加拿大致力于与盟国和伙伴国海军合作，以实现地区和平、稳定与繁荣的承诺。”

加拿大此次新的部署属于“地平线行动”范畴，取代了“投射行动”，后者是加拿大在印太地区的主要军事任务。

加拿大军方还计划加强与地区和盟国的互动与合作，包括增加参与双边和多边演习，正如其最近发布的印太战略中所详述的那样。

加拿大还将继续参与“霓虹行动”，这是加拿大为监督联合国安理会对朝鲜制裁措施所作出的贡献。加拿大已向“霓虹行动”派遣舰艇、人员，并定期部署CP-140“极光”海上巡逻机。

阿南德还批评了中国，称其为“一个日益无视国际规则和规范的破坏性全球力量”。

然而，她仍然表示对与中国对话持开放态度，并表示，虽然加拿大“会在应该挑战中国的地方挑战中国，但我们会与中国合作，共同寻找解决全球问题的方案”。

阿南德发表讲话之际，加拿大宣布“蒙特利尔”号护卫舰与美国海军“钟云”号驱逐舰一同穿越了台湾海峡。这艘护卫舰于3月下旬从加拿大大西洋沿岸启航，经直布罗陀海峡和苏伊士运河从西面进入该地区。

加拿大环球新闻随后报道称，一艘中国海军舰艇在穿越台湾海峡时突然切入美国驱逐舰的航线，迫使美国舰艇减速并采取规避措施。加拿大舰艇指挥官称中国军舰的这一举动“不专业”。

Mike Yeo 是《防务新闻》的亚洲通讯员。