Canada to boost military presence in Indo-Pacific: defense chief

Canada will boost its military presence in the Indo-Pacific region and aims to be a "reliable" partner for like-minded nations in the area, the country's defense chief said Friday, amid China's growing maritime assertiveness.In an interview with Kyodo News in Tokyo, Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair said Japan is a candidate submarine supplier for Canada, which plans to procure up to 12 conventional military subs in the future to replace old ones."We recognize, economically, geopolitically, strategically, the (Indo-Pacific) region's importance," Blair said, adding Canada "recognizes that…READ FULL ARTICLE