Day: March 6, 2026

Canada’s defence agreement with South Korea signals the two countries’ “middle-power answer” to increasing cooperation between Beijing and Moscow in the Arctic region and Washington’s pressure on its allies for defence burden sharing, analysts said. The agreement, signed on February 25 as part of a 2+2 foreign and defence ministerial meeting, followed the Security and Defence Cooperation Partnership (SDCP) established by the two countries in October. According to a joint statement issued after the February meeting, Seoul and Ottawa committed to “expanding and strengthening our security and defence cooperation to…

China will allocate more of its fiscal spending this year towards human capital and social safety nets, as Beijing seeks to boost domestic demand and unlock new growth through “investing in people”. “Efforts must be sustained to optimise the expenditure structure, with greater emphasis on supporting the boosting of consumption, investing in people, and safeguarding people’s livelihoods,” Premier Li Qiang said in his annual work report, delivered during the opening session of the National People’s Congress on Thursday. Incorporated into China’s 15th five-year plan, the “investing in people” concept reflects…