India, July 19 -- Last week, I argued that Ethical Realism offers a practical framework for public policy because it begins with the world as it exists, rather than the world we might wish existed. It does not discard morality, international law or democratic principle. It recognises that liberty and sovereignty endure only when supported by economic resilience, credible deterrence, reliable partnerships and the capacity to resist coercion.

Few democracies confront that proposition from more different geographic circumstances than India and Canada.

India shares a disputed Himalayan frontier with an increasingly powerful China. It must also consider Beijing's expanding military and economic presence across South Asia and the Indian Ocean...