The U.S. created Partners in the Blue pacific in June of 2022, an informal group meant to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties between the Pacific island nations and the rest of the world. Australia, the UK, Japan, New Zealand, and now Canada, are some of the members. According to Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, developments or decisions made in the Indo-Pacific region will affect Canada, so it’s important that Canada has a say. The group was created after China created a security agreement with the Solomon islands and tensions between U.S. and Chinese involvement in the Pacific increased. Canada and China haven’t had good relations for a long time; in 2018, Canada detained a Chinese tech executive and China arrested two Canadians. Due to their uncomfortable history, Canada claims they will propose an Indo-Pacific strategy that will increase discussion of trade and climate change with China.
I think it will be interesting to see what the newly founded Partners in Blue group can accomplish. Canada joining the group could be only because of their issues with China, and considering the group was formed due to tensions with China in the Pacific, they may only be joining to strengthen their alliance with countries that also have issues with China. Canada has been saying they’ll propose an Indo-Pacific strategy for quite a while but hasn’t come out with anything yet.
This relates to class because Partners in the Blue Pacific is an informal IGO.