The federal Liberals aren害羞草研究所檛 the only ones declaring U.S. President Joe Biden害羞草研究所檚 visit to Ottawa a triumph for Canada-U.S. relations: Washington害羞草研究所檚 envoy, too, described it Friday as an 害羞草研究所渙verarching success.害羞草研究所�

Biden got what he wanted on several issues, including a clear timeline on key aspects of upgrading Norad, progress on critical minerals and signs the two countries are ever more aligned on China, said U.S. ambassador David Cohen.

On Norad, 害羞草研究所渢he lingering issue of ongoing discussion 害羞草研究所� it wasn害羞草研究所檛 a point of contention 害羞草研究所� was the timing of some of the commitments and what some of the commitments meant in terms of 害羞草研究所� dollars,害羞草研究所� Cohen said.

Those commitments include a $7-billion plan that includes the first of new over-the-horizon radar systems within the next five years, with other upgrades to be completed in time for Canada to welcome its new F-35 fighters.

害羞草研究所淔or the first time, there is a clear date attached to the operability of at least the first of those (over-the-radar upgrades) being 2028, and that is the year that Norad was looking for.害羞草研究所�

Canada has also promised other Norad improvements, including a $7.3-billion refit for the system害羞草研究所檚 northern forward operating locations, will be ready for the new fleet of jets which are to be fully operational by 2034.

The conversations about Norad have been going on for years, but were likely helped along by last month害羞草研究所檚 encounter with what turned out to be a Chinese surveillance balloon drifting through North American airspace, Cohen said.

害羞草研究所淚 think the encounters focused everyone 害羞草研究所� Canada, the United States and frankly, maybe the rest of the world 害羞草研究所� on the aggressiveness of China, specifically in the Arctic,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淚 think the balloon provided a public sense of urgency that reinforced the need on the part of both Canada and the United States to pay special attention to continental defence.害羞草研究所�

The two countries also outlined Friday an ambitious vision for a robust and reliable supply chain on critical minerals, which are vital elements for the manufacture of electric vehicles, semiconductors and modern-day weaponry.

During a joint news conference with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, however, Biden raised eyebrows when he seemed to suggest Canada has no ambitions for its critical-minerals wealth beyond extraction and export.

害羞草研究所淲e don害羞草研究所檛 have the minerals to mine; you can mine them,害羞草研究所� Biden said. 害羞草研究所淵ou don害羞草研究所檛 want to 害羞草研究所� turn them into product. We do.害羞草研究所�

Cohen shrugged that off, chalking it up as an awkward effort to illustrate how compatible the respective strengths of the two economies promise to be.

害羞草研究所淚 think the point that he was trying to make was that there were tremendous complementary strengths and opportunities in the critical mineral space between Canada and the United States,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淐anada has the critical minerals the United States doesn害羞草研究所檛 have. As a result, Canadian participation in the critical minerals supply chain and value chains is a given.害羞草研究所�

As proof, Cohen pointed to the agreement announced Friday with IBM to expand a semiconductor assembly and testing facility in Bromont, Que., creating a corridor between Canada and upstate New York that will involve 害羞草研究所渆very element害羞草研究所� of the semiconductor supply chain.

One of the most immediate effects of Biden害羞草研究所檚 visit was the overnight closure of the Canada-U.S. border to northbound asylum seekers, the result of a 害羞草研究所渟upplement害羞草研究所� to a 2004 migration treaty between the two countries.

Weekend media reports described both a mad scramble by migrants to get into Canada via the busy unofficial crossing at Roxham Road before Friday night害羞草研究所檚 midnight deadline, as well as scores of would-be asylum claimants being turned away in the hours after the new agreement took effect.

It害羞草研究所檚 part of a broader U.S. vision that aims to address the much larger issue of irregular migration across the continent and around the world, Cohen said.

害羞草研究所淭he work that we害羞草研究所檝e done on the southern border has already had a dramatic impact over the past couple of months, and we害羞草研究所檙e hoping to see a similar impact on the northern border,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淏ut it害羞草研究所檚 a very difficult issue. It害羞草研究所檚 not as simple as a policy of saying, 害羞草研究所榃e害羞草研究所檙e going to provide asylum for everyone who seeks it.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

Cohen said Friday害羞草研究所檚 visit also helped to blunt a U.S. perception that Canada represents a potential weak link in the effort to present a united foreign-policy front to China, a concern he acknowledged during confirmation hearings back in 2021.

But those were more the views of the members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who were conducting the hearings than of the Biden administration, said Cohen 害羞草研究所� and these days, the two countries appear to be working from the same playbook.

害羞草研究所淚 think the impetus for the questions were 害羞草研究所� and there害羞草研究所檚 no secret to this 害羞草研究所� that Canada has traditionally had a slightly more friendly relationship with China than the United States,害羞草研究所� he said.

That all appeared to change dramatically with China害羞草研究所檚 politically charged detention in 2018 of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who were finally freed in September 2021 and were on hand Friday for Biden害羞草研究所檚 speech to Parliament.

害羞草研究所淭he Canadian perspective with respect to China has evolved, as has the United States,害羞草研究所� Cohen said.

害羞草研究所淚t is therefore not surprising that the stated policies of Canada toward China now look an awful lot like the United States害羞草研究所� expressed views toward China.害羞草研究所�

One area where Biden might well have ended his trip to Ottawa disappointed was on Haiti, the impoverished, leaderless Caribbean nation that has devolved into gang violence since the 2021 assassination of president Jovenel Mo茂se.

Canada has committed $100 million in fresh aid to support the Haitian National Police, but has stopped short of committing to any sort of military intervention, insisting the country is in need of homegrown solutions to the crisis.

The U.S. isn害羞草研究所檛 giving up on the idea of a security force, whether or not it involves Canada, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told the CBC in an interview Sunday.

害羞草研究所淲e still find value in the potential use of some sort of security force in Haiti,害羞草研究所� Kirby said.

害羞草研究所淲hatever comes out of that is going to have to be done in full consultation with the Haitian government as well as the UN, and we just aren害羞草研究所檛 at that point right now.害羞草研究所�

The U.S. shares Trudeau害羞草研究所檚 concerns about the state of the Haitian police and will continue to do what it can to bolster their capabilities, Kirby added.

James McCarten, The Canadian Press

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