Former Canadian ambassador to China warns against Chinese investment in strategic projects in the Arctic like Grays Bay.
• Also read: War in the Arctic: China also covets our northern territory
• Also read: The Arctic War: China wants a road and port in our Arctic waters
Not only are we talking about strategic minerals that are essential to support the energy transition, but also about a deep-water port in a key channel for Canada’s security.
“Once there are Chinese facilities, you have to keep in mind that they could be used for other purposes and that it’s easy to bring in equipment and allow observations that would be useful on the side, militarily,” warns Mr Saint-Jacques, who was from 2012 stationed in Beijing until 2016.
However, MMG Resources is dodging changes to the Investment Canada Act announced in October to bar foreign investment that could affect “national security” in critical minerals and supply chains.
This law “does not allow for retrospective revisions,” spokesman for the Minister for Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, told the Journal, specifying that “when an investment evolves over time, new activities may be required Review.
Huawei too
Besides MMG Resources in the mining sector, China is also well established in the Arctic through another strategic company: Huawei.
The Chinese telecoms giant owns cell towers along the entire Northwest Passage, from the Pacific Ocean coast to the North Atlantic coast.
Those installs haven’t worried since Huawei was banned from Canada’s 5G network in May 2022 because the Nordic antennas don’t offer the technology.
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