Canadian PM lands in Japan for strategic discussions

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Japan on Friday for talks with his counterpart, Sanae Takaichi, with discussions likely to focus on deepening security and economic ties, as well as the ongoing Iran conflict.

Japanese media reported that both sides aim to share more intelligence on Chinese and Russian cyberattacks, enhance joint military exercises, and cooperate on securing critical minerals.

Carney arrived from Australia, where he had described US‑Israeli strikes on Iran as “inconsistent with international law” while supporting efforts to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Fresh from remarks in Davos in January, in which he said the world under US President Donald Trump was witnessing a “rupture”, Carney called in Canberra for middle powers to collaborate more closely.

As a strong advocate of a rules-based international order, the Iran conflict has placed Japan, another middle power, in a challenging position.

Japan is a close US ally, hosting some 60,000 US military personnel, and relies on Washington’s backing as China increases its regional assertiveness. The world’s fourth-largest economy is also its fifth-largest oil importer, with roughly 70 per cent of supplies shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed.

Takaichi said on Tuesday that she would hold “candid” discussions on the conflict with Trump during talks in Washington on 19 March.

Japan-China relations have deteriorated since Takaichi suggested in November that Japan might intervene militarily if China attempted to take Taiwan. Chinese tourist numbers have plummeted, and although some restrictions on “dual-use” goods have been implemented, Beijing has, for now, refrained from measures that could severely impact Japan.

Meanwhile, China-Canada relations have warmed, with Carney visiting in January and signing a trade deal after years of reciprocal arrests and tariff disputes. His current tour, which also includes India, forms part of efforts to reduce Canada’s over-reliance on its southern neighbour under Trump.

“Japan is a natural partner for Carney’s desire to ‘be on the table, not on the menu’,” said Yee Kuang Heng, a professor of international security at the University of Tokyo.

Topics expected to be discussed include coordinating naval transits through the Taiwan Strait and improving tracking and interception of Russian and Chinese bomber patrols in the western and northern Pacific, Heng told AFP.

Canada may also be interested in purchasing future fighter jets developed under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a joint initiative between Japan, Italy, and Britain.

Carney was scheduled to return to Canada on Saturday.