Toronto (Canada), May 8 (EFE) Ottawa has applied to join the deal.

Anand stated his intention to deepen cooperation with the Pacific defense pact during a press conference in Ottawa on the occasion of the visit of his Polish counterpart, Mariusz Blaszczak, and after a Canadian newspaper published on Monday that Canada wished to join AUKUS. .

“Canada is very interested in deepening cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing and other advanced technologies with our closest allies,” he said after being asked several times about Ottawa’s alleged intentions to join AUKUS.

The creation of AUKUS was announced in 2021. And in March this year, as a result of the pact, Australia said it would provide submarines based on a new-generation British ship design and equipped with American nuclear propulsion technology. .

AUKUS also includes cooperation at the highest level, among others, in AI, quantum computing and hypersonic technology.

China frames the agreement in a growing geopolitical conflict that Beijing maintains with Washington and the possible integration of Canada into AUKUS will come amid deteriorating diplomatic relations between Canada and China.

In December last year, Canada published a long-term strategic action plan for the Indo-Pacific region based on a deal with China, a country that Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly accused of being an “increasingly disruptive global power.”

In recent weeks, press leaks have revealed that Canadian intelligence services have accused China of meddling in the last two Canadian elections, held in 2019 and 2021, in which Beijing authorities backed up to 11 candidates seen as favorable to the Chinese regime.

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