Defence Minister Bill Blair is making his first visit to South Korea and Japan as China and Russia plan joint military exercises in nearby waters.
The minister’s trip coincides with China’s announcement on Sept. 9 of a joint military drill with Russian naval and air forces this month. Beijing said the exercise aims to improve strategic military collaboration with Russia and “strengthen their ability to jointly deal with security threats.”
The exercises will take place in the Sea of Japan, which lies between Japan and the Korean Peninsula, and in the Sea of Okhotsk, north of Japan’s Hokkaido Island. Additionally, China will also take part in the Russian military’s “Ocean-2024” strategic exercise.
Blair’s Sept. 8 to 14 trip focuses on strengthening defence ties with Indo-Pacific allies to address regional security concerns, particularly from North Korea.
During his visit to South Korea, Blair made a historic stop at the demilitarized zone separating the South from the communist-led North. He will also meet with Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun to discuss boosting defence collaboration between Canada and Korea.
In Japan, Blair will meet with Defence Minister Kihara Minoru to strengthen the Canada-Japan defence partnership. He will also visit Canadian Armed Forces members stationed in Japan, who are involved in monitoring illicit North Korean activities.
North Korea has joined China and Russia, heightening tensions in the Indo-Pacific region. Their combined military activities, particularly amid territorial and maritime disputes, have increased security risks in the South and East China Seas, the Taiwan Strait, and the North Pacific, according to Ottawa’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.
In response, Canada’s allies are strengthening ties to address potential security challenges.
Japan and South Korea deployed fighter jets last December in response to a joint China-Russia military exercise, according to the U.S. Naval Institute. South Korean media also reported that during the event, two Chinese and four Russian military aircraft entered South Korea’s air defence identification zone.
Chinese and Russian military aircraft were also recently found nearing North American airspace, with several aircrafts intercepted by U.S. and Canadian fighter jets off the coast of Alaska in July.
Japan and South Korea joined the United States in condemning a Russia-North Korea strategic partnership pact in June. The agreement was made during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first state visit to Pyongyang, where he met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. During the meeting, Putin suggested supplying weapons to North Korea, while Kim voiced “unwavering support” for Moscow’s foreign policy, including its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
