As an academic, I have a lot of difficulty finding ways to influence or have impact even in my own country, in Ottawa, with the people at this table, but if we look at it from the perspective of Chinese short-term and long-term advantages, if we see through their eyes what they want out of peacekeeping, we won't like some of it, but some of what they want to do in peacekeeping we can encourage. That's the thing universities can provide in a way that government-to-government engagement can't. We can spend five years talking with the Chinese group about what they want from the Arctic. Does that add up to influence? Maybe. It's hard to predict, but it's the inevitable path that we must try.
On May 3rd, 2021. See this statement in context.