In a move that could strain ties with its powerful neighbor to the south, Canada said on Thursday it will not participate in a US plans, widely opposed here, to deploy a missile defense shield covering North America.
Relations had appeared to warm of late after cooling with the US-led invasion of Iraq in early 2003, in which Canada had also declined to participate.
Political analysts expected the decision. Ottawa had been mulling its stand on the US missile defense program for more than a year.
Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin leads a minority government and his party's lawmakers had lobbied him not to take part in the program which is highly unpopular in Canada, particularly in Quebec.
"Let me be clear: we respect the right of the United States to defend itself and its people. Indeed, we will continue to work in partnership with our southern neighbors on the common defense of North America and on continental security," Martin said.
"However, ballistic missile defense is not where we will concentrate our efforts. Instead we will act both alone and with our neighbors on defense priorities such as those outlined in yesterday's budget. These include: strengthening the security of our common border, bolstering security at points of entry, reinforcing our coastal and arctic sovereignty, increasing support for intelligence, expanding our armed forces and increasing our capital investment in helicopters, trucks, aircraft and ships," he said.
In Washington, a state department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: "The Canadians have informed us of their decision. We take note of it."
"We certainly hope that despite the decision we'll still be able to continue our broad range of cooperation on bilateral issues, including on defense cooperation," the US official said.
"Canada remains steadfast in its support of NORAD, which is essential to continental security and our national sovereignty," Martin said. "That's why we agreed last summer to enhance our longstanding commitment to track missiles through NORAD [North American Aerospace Defense Command]. We stand by that commitment. It underscores an important ongoing partnership with the United States and most of all, it is in Canada's strategic national interest."
The US and Canada agreed last August to extend NORAD's aerospace warning function to support missile defense. The agreement allowed NORAD information on incoming missiles to be used by the US missile defense program, but did not require actual participation by Canadian forces, according to US officials.
"Canada recognizes the enormous burden that the United States shoulders when it comes to international peace and security. The substantial increases made ... to our defense budget are a tangible indication that Canada intends to carry its full share of that global responsibility," Martin said.
When Shanghai-based designer Guo Qingshan posted a vacation photo on Valentine’s Day and captioned it “Puppy Mountain,” it became a sensation in China and even created a tourist destination. Guo had gone on a hike while visiting his hometown of Yichang in central China’s Hubei Province late last month. When reviewing the photographs, he saw something he had not noticed before: A mountain shaped like a dog’s head rested on the ground next to the Yangtze River, its snout perched at the water’s edge. “It was so magical and cute. I was so excited and happy when I discovered it,” Guo said.
TURNAROUND: The Liberal Party had trailed the Conservatives by a wide margin, but that was before Trump threatened to make Canada the US’ 51st state Canada’s ruling Liberals, who a few weeks ago looked certain to lose an election this year, are mounting a major comeback amid the threat of US tariffs and are tied with their rival Conservatives, according to three new polls. An Ipsos survey released late on Tuesday showed that the left-leaning Liberals have 38 percent public support and the official opposition center-right Conservatives have 36 percent. The Liberals have overturned a 26-point deficit in six weeks, and run advertisements comparing the Conservative leader to Trump. The Conservative strategy had long been to attack unpopular Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, but last month he
Chinese authorities said they began live-fire exercises in the Gulf of Tonkin on Monday, only days after Vietnam announced a new line marking what it considers its territory in the body of water between the nations. The Chinese Maritime Safety Administration said the exercises would be focused on the Beibu Gulf area, closer to the Chinese side of the Gulf of Tonkin, and would run until tomorrow evening. It gave no further details, but the drills follow an announcement last week by Vietnam establishing a baseline used to calculate the width of its territorial waters in the Gulf of Tonkin. State-run Vietnam News
PROBE: Last week, Romanian prosecutors launched a criminal investigation against presidential candidate Calin Georgescu accusing him of supporting fascist groups Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Romania’s capital on Saturday in the latest anti-government demonstration by far-right groups after a top court canceled a presidential election in the EU country last year. Protesters converged in front of the government building in Bucharest, waving Romania’s tricolor flags and chanting slogans such as “down with the government” and “thieves.” Many expressed support for Calin Georgescu, who emerged as the frontrunner in December’s canceled election, and demanded they be resumed from the second round. George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), which organized the protest,
RSS