Overview
- The three‑day conference in Victoria, which ran from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2, brought 32 senior military representatives from 29 countries to discuss interoperability, readiness and emerging technology.
- U.S. Pacific Command commander Adm. Samuel Paparo publicly called Canada an “indispensable” partner and rejected a reporter’s hypothetical about ordering an invasion of Canada as “preposterous.”
- Paparo held his first in‑person meeting with Gen. Yang Zhibin of China’s PLA Eastern Theater Command to maintain senior military lines of communication and reduce the risk of miscalculation.
- Canada’s top military leaders stressed that defence procurement choices, including fighter jets and participation in missile‑defence systems, are sovereign technical decisions separate from ongoing trade disputes.
- Officials acknowledged heated political rhetoric and tariffs between Ottawa and Washington but said professional, apolitical military cooperation continues through operations such as Canada’s Operation HORIZON and Operation NEON.