Boris Johnson backs Canada joining Aukus military pact
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Boris Johnson and Liz Truss have called for Canada to be added to the Aukus military alliance to “strengthen the West’s collective defences” against threats from Russia and China.
The former prime ministers said Canada should be included in the development of new military technology, including hypersonic missiles and underwater drones.
The Aukus alliance is a partnership of the UK, the US and Australia, and is centred around the development of a new nuclear submarine for Australia so it can counter the rising influence of China in the Indo-Pacific region.
Mr Johnson, who helped negotiate the launch of the alliance, said Canada was the “most obvious next candidate” because it had “fought – often heroically – for freedom”.
A new paper by the Legatum Institute argues that Canada should be added to Aukus because its supply of critical mineral resources would allow the US, UK and Australia to be less reliant on Chinese exports.
The think tank said Canada should be added to the alliance’s “Pillar II”, which promotes cooperation between member states on technology, AI and the construction of new weapons.
Canada is already a member of NORAD, a defence partnership with the United States that provides advance warning of nuclear missile attacks and spy balloons directed at North America.
The paper, which is also backed by former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott, argues that Canada should be allowed to join the alliance and be given access to military secrets, in exchange for allowing other member states tariff-free access to its mineral resources.
Canada ‘is the most obvious candidate to join’
“Deeper integration of science, tech, and industrial capacity will deliver the fastest and most exciting results, with some specific targets already in sight, such as including hypersonic missiles and underwater drones,” Mr Johnson said.
“It is time to now go further and to bring in other countries to this partnership – and the most obvious next candidate must be Canada.
“Canada is not just a lynchpin of the Commonwealth and the G7. For more than a century Canadians have fought - often heroically – for freedom.
“No country better epitomises the values that make Aukus possible – and Canada has a huge amount to offer.”
Ms Truss echoed Mr Johnson’s call, arguing that Britain should “work closely with long-standing allies to thwart the hostile ambitions of authoritarian regimes”.
She said: “Bringing Canada into the Aukus family would be a timely strategic move to strengthen the West’s collective defences.”
Supporters of the Aukus alliance argue it has only been possible for the UK to negotiate its own foreign and security treaties because of Mr Johnson’s Brexit deal, which did not tie Britain into a European-wide policy.
The creation of the alliance caused a major diplomatic row between Australia and France, which had previously been contracted to build a nuclear-powered submarine.
France recalled its ambassador to Australia after the country negotiated a new deal with the US and UK, forcing the cancellation of a €56 billion deal with the French manufacturer Naval Group, while Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French foreign minister, described the partnership as a “stab in the back”.
