"I believe that in the geopolitical circumstances I was taking office ... the threats to the North were actually quite serious."

"I think I've been borne out in that regard, I didn't anticipate that being our southern neighbour."

"I think the reality is, the federal government manages this country right, puts the stress on unity and not on ideological tangents, and there's no reason why we can't pull the country together at this moment."

Former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper 

 

"During his tenure as prime minister, Mr. Harper emphasized the importance of Arctic sovereignty to Canada, foreshadowing recent geopolitical developments in that region."

"His government oversaw the creation of Canada's first urban national park in the Rouge Valley, protected Sable Island as a national park reserve, expanded Nahanni National Park and created Naats'ihch'oh National Park in the Northwest Territories."

Royal Canadian Geographic Society press release 

Former prime ministers Jean Chrétien, left, and Stephen Harper, centre, take part in a discussion of Canadian unity moderated by RCGS CEO John Geiger. (Photo: Charlie Woolf/Can Geo)

 

When Stephen Harper was Canada's Conservative prime minister in three governments; a minority and two majorities, he focused on the Canadian Arctic and the need to protect it. At that time it was primarily Russia (and China) who contested Canada's boundaries in the Canadian Arctic. Russia began the militarization of the Russian Arctic, restoring old Siberian military bases, expanding and stationing Russian military operatives there. It claims the Lomonosov Ridge gives Russia entitlement over areas of the seabed allocated to Canada and Denmark.

 

Suddenly, it appears that although Russian claims while not diminished, have been pushed back somewhat in light of the Trump administration's claims that for security purposes against the malign intentions of Russia and China make it imperative for the United States to claim Denmark's Greenland as a protectorate of the U.S., to give it sole authority over the island, while casting the same type of ownership claims over the Canadian Arctic.

 

Mr. Harper, speaking on a panel at the Royal Canadian Geographic Society described his concerns over the necessity to reinforce Canada's Northern sovereignty. At the time he could never have envisioned that a threat to Canada's sovereignty in the North would emanate from the United States. Yet, there it is: U.S. President Trump argues for greater U.S. military presence in the Arctic, and where Greenland was involved, went so far as to suggest military action to achieve his goal. That threat of expansionism is interpreted by many,  to include Canada's northern territories.

 

As sea ice recedes, routes through the North West Passage presage a new era of shipping in routes from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Mercantile trade worldwide will be affected, and Northern nations stand to benefit from the potential easing of maritime routes in trade opportunities, which is precisely what has lured China to stake its own claim as a 'near-Arctic' (laughable as it is) stakeholder. Russia is prepared to begin mining for the natural resources known to entice interests from natural gas to minerals.

 

A view of Canadian-owned Helsinki Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland, on Jan. 28, 2026. Photo by Alessandro Rampazzo/AFP via Getty Images

 

Canada now is alert to a changing world order, and Mr. Harper exhorted the need to defend the nation's land, airspace and waterways, on its own, no longer depending on its neighbour to the south to respect its territorial integrity. He had ordered Arctic icebreakers to be built for Canada. The occasion of Mr. Harper's speech was linked to the Geographical Society's honouring the former prime minister with a gold medal to celebrate his outstanding public service on the 20-year anniversary of his first of three election wins that brought him to the prime ministership.

 

A few days later another event took place on Parliament Hill, the hanging of the former prime minister's official portrait. At that event he urged political parties to recognize the need for unity at this critical time in Canada's history; to work against "external forces that threaten our independence and against domestic policies that threaten our unity. We must preserve Canada, this country handed down to us by providence, preserved by our ancestors, and held in trust for our descendants." 

"He served as prime minister of Canada for nearly a decade -- the sixth-longest tenure in our history -- leaving an extensive record of policy and legislative accomplishments."

"In a political climate increasingly buffeted by noise, he brought composure, intellect and decisiveness to public life."

Liberal Prime Minister Marc Carney 

Former prime minister Stephen Harper, right, at the unveiling of his official portrait during a ceremony in Ottawa, on Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026. Photo by HYUNGCHEOL PARK/Postmedia

Uprising in Kazakhstan ... Control Re-Etablished in Kazakhstan

"For us it’s absolutely mandatory to make sure that Ukraine never, never, ever becomes a member of NATO. We do not trust the other side.”

"We need iron-clad, waterproof, bulletproof, legally binding guarantees. Not assurances, not safeguards, guarantees with all the words ‘shall, must’, everything that should be put in, ‘never ever becoming a member of NATO’. It’s a matter of Russia’s national security."

"Unfortunately we have a great disparity in our principled approaches to this. The US and Russia in some ways have opposite views on what needs to be done."

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov

 

"The events in Kazakhstan are not the first and not the last attempt at interfering in the internal affairs of our states from the outside."

Russian President Vladimir Putin 

"[The demonstrations were instigated by] terrorists [with foreign backing]."

"[I will reveal to the world] additional evidence [of a] terrorist aggression [against Kazakhstan.The demands of peaceful protesters have been] heard and met by the state [and the unrest that followed involved] groups of armed militants [whose goal was to overthrow the government]."

"What kind of talks can we hold with criminals and murderers?"

"We had to deal with armed and well-prepared bandits, local as well as foreign. More precisely, with terrorists. So we have to destroy them, this will be done soon."  

Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

 

"The situation has been stabilized in all regions of the country."

"A number of strategic facilities have been transferred under the protection of the united peacekeeping contingent of the CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization] member states."

Presidential Office statement

A crane loads a military truck, which was burned during clashes onto the platform in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022. (Vladimir Tretyakov/NUR.KZ via AP)

 Russian President Putin and Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev may be singing out of different hymnals. Both speak of 'terrorist' and foreign influence involvement in the recent violence taking place in Kazakhstan following peaceful protests against the government. But while Mr. Putin considers the United States and NATO's malign influence in the region the cause of unrest, Mr. Tokayev seems to feel otherwise pointing to the involvement of "mostly Central Asian countries, including Afghanistan," and some from Mideast nations.

 

Strange business this, apprehending an insurrection, accusing foreign elements and 'terrorists' of invading and leading an insurrection, yet taking draconian steps on the part of the government to arrest the nation's top security officials for what effectively amounts to treasonous activities. There's an echo here of Ukraine, with its still-ongoing conflict with ethnic Russian Ukrainians in the east of the country intent on taking possession of the Donbas as, effectively, Russian territory.

 

In essence, Russian troops invaded eastern Ukraine and fought alongside Russian-Ukrainians leading to Moscow taking possession of Ukrainian territory when it secured the Crimean Peninsula into Greater Russia, violating Ukraine's sovereign territory and scheming to take Mariupol to secure a more direct link for itself to Crimea. In this instance, the reverse has occurred where internal strife in Kazakhstan with citizens rising against a corrupt government turned violent and Russia intervened to save a post-Soviet ally's sovereignty.

 

A Central Asian country that, given its rich market of natural resources of oil and uranium bringing international investment of huge proportions basks in wealth, but little of it, unsurprisingly, given the autocratic nature of its government, trickles down to the population. The original protest arose when the price of fuel rose and the population smarted with indignation. The reversal that quickly followed to appease the anger fizzled, however, people's aggrieved state at their governance continued and when the military used violent tactics the protesters responded in kind.

An estimated 8,000 people have been detained and imprisoned after the torching of public buildings and reciprocal killings between protesters and security forces. President Tokayev had issued shoot-to-kill orders to end the violence caused by "bandits and terrorists". A controversial figure of 164 killed during the riots is being contested, caused by the clashes between protesters and security agents. President Tokayev invited Moscow to help tamp down the insurrection.

The Kremlin responded by calling into action the alliance of ex-Soviet states, the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Well, isn't that interesting, somewhat reminiscent of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization whose creeping presence in eastern Europe which Vladimir Putin considers Russia's 'near abroad' is a matter of such consternation to Russia. Member states of the CSTO sent in their battalions and the violence subsided, wearing itself out in the presence of tanks, armaments and soldiers.

Now, Kazakhstan's president is anxious that the CSTO and Russia in particular vacate his country, thank you very much. Mr. Tokayev is prepared to settle his nation's own internal conflict and consolidate his authority, separating his rule from that of his corrupt predecessor who has now resigned all holdover posts and whose spokesperson said: "[He] and the head of state have always been 'on the same side of the barricades' ... In these difficult days they have demonstrated the monolithic nature of state power for all of us"; and that the population must rally around President Tokayev.

As a first order of business he awarded 'prizes' for bravery to the 16 police and army officers who were killed in the violence. "The counter-terrorist operation ... will be continued until the complete elimination of the terrorists", promised Deputy Defence Minister Sultan Gamaletdinov. According to Russian paratrooper commander Andrey Serdyukov, the CSTO force completed its deployment to Kazakhstan and is preparing to remain until complete stabilization is assured.

All The News That's Fit To Print About China

"China’s construction of nearly 250 new silos has serious implications for international relations and China’s role in the world. The Chinese government has for decades insisted it has a minimum deterrent and that it is not part of any nuclear arms race. Although it remains unclear how many silos will actually be filled with missiles, the massive silo construction and China’s other nuclear modernization programs are on a scale that appears to contradict these polices: the build-up is anything but “minimum” and appears to be part of a race for more nuclear arms to better compete with China’s adversaries."

"The silo construction will likely further deepen military tension, fuel fear of China’s intentions, embolden arguments that arms control and constraints are naïve, and that US and Russian nuclear arsenals cannot be reduced further but instead must be adjusted to take into account the Chinese nuclear build-up.?

"The disclosure of the second Chinese silo missile field comes only days before US and Russian negotiators meet to discuss strategic stability and potential arms control measures. Responding to the Chinese build-up with more nuclear weapons would be unlikely to produce positive results and could cause China build up even more. Moreover, even when the new silos become operational, the Chinese nuclear arsenal will still  to be significantly smaller than those of Russia and the United States."

"The clearest path to reining in China’s nuclear arsenal is through arms control, but this is challenging. The United States has been trying to engage China on nuclear issues since the late-1990s, but so far with minimal success. Rather than discuss specific limitations on weapon systems, these efforts have been limited to increasing transparency about force structure plans and strategy, and well as discussing nuclear doctrine and intentions."

"The Trump administration correctly sought to broaden nuclear arms control to include China, but fumbled the effort by turning it into a public-relations pressure stunt and insisting that China should be part of a New START treaty extension. Beijing not surprisingly rejected the effort, and Chinese officials have plainly stated that “it is unrealistic to expect China to join [the United States and Russia] in a negotiation aimed at nuclear arms reduction,” particularly while China’s arsenal remains a fraction of the size."

Matt Korda and Hans Kristensen, Federation of American Scientists 

The Hami missile silo field domes are identical to silo domes seen at the Yumen missile silo field and the Jilantai training area.

 

"[The Chinese nuclear weapons stockpile was] expected to double, if not triple or quadruple, over the next decade."

Admiral Charles Richard,commander U.S. nuclear forces

 

"The silo construction at Humen and Hami constitutes the most significant expansion of the Chinese nuclear arsenal ever."

Matt Korda and Hans M.Kristensen

China has certainly not endeared itself to the freedom-loving Western democracies of late. Its aggression over territorial rights in the Himalaya with India, in the South China Sea with its near neighbours, disputes over land, sea and air rights have all alerted its neighbours to a sovereignty agenda whose fulfillment will most certainly diminish their own disputed rights. Taiwan is in Beijing's crosshairs, and Hong Kong has suffered a blow to its hopes for the future as a bastion of democracy.

 

Life in prison is the sentence that people in Hong Kong face for daring to challenge the supremacy of China and this is just what a young activist, Tong Ying-kit, 24, is now facing for hoisting a protest flag on July 1st last year reading "Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times". He was convicted of terrorism and inciting secession under the controversial national security law meant to stamp out dissent that mightily offends Beijing. 

So it is with a jaundiced eye that the United States looks in at what intelligence agencies suspect is the latest move by China to assert itself. As though to complement Chinese President Xi Jinping's assertion to "bash the heads" of any foreign intrusive powers that plan to interfere with Beijing's sovereign rights on its own territory. As, for example, global criticism of the oppression of Tibetans and of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

Beijing has had a lot on its plate recently from its Belt & Road initiative with massive investments all over the world meant ultimately to benefit China's status as a trade and production colossus on the world stage where Beijing longs to be recognized as a world power at least on par with the United States of America. United China is Beijing's goal and it will brook no interference nor questioning of its right to act as it will in securing 'harmony' among its many restive parts.

 

The Hami missile silo field covers an area of about 800 square kilometers and is in the early phases of construction.

 

Now, according to satellite images, it appears that China has been busy, building a second nuclear missile base able to hold dozens of intercontinental ballistic missiles. Spread over 300 square miles in the Xinjiang region, the vast site is theorized to hold 110 silos for launching weapons. "The most significant expansion of the Chinese nuclear arsenal ever."

Civilian satellite was utilized by the Federation of American Scientists to examine the Gobi Desert close to Hami where Uyghur Muslims are believed to be kept in "re-education camps". A series of large inflatable domes typical of those generally made use of by construction teams on military bases to shield from view work they are performing within, were identified. 

Only weeks earlier another silo field had been spotted in Yumen, northeast China. There, according to the James Martin Center for Non-proliferation Studies, are located 120 missile silos, as well. China's version of the issue of missile silos and their projectiles are that it maintains a "minimum deterrent" of nuclear weapons, estimated to number some 300, by experts. The United States and Russia both maintain strategic arsenals easily five times that size, along with stockpiles of roughly 5,000 weapons each.

At the same event when President Xi made his "bash the heads" threat, he pledged to build up China's military. He also spoke of the nation's commitment to the "reunification" of Taiwan, reiterating the importance of social stability which would be more certain in Hong Kong under Beijing's thumb, and at the same time enhancing Beijing's thrust toward security and sovereignty. It is President Xi casual scorn of security and sovereignty of other nations that is found so offensive.

"Just because you build the silo doesn't mean you have to fill them all with missiles. they can move them around."

"It's not insane. They make the United States target a lot of silos that may be empty. They can fill these silos slowly if they need to build up their force. And they get leverage in arms control."

"I'm surprised they didn't do this a decade ago."

Vipin Narang, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Hami and Yumen missile silo fields are located deeper inside China than any other ICBM base and beyond the reach of conventional cruise missiles.  Image: Google Earth.