The United States' decision to pause a long-standing defense board with Canada reflects growing tensions over military spending and the future direction of bilateral ties, Canadian experts say.

The US Department of Defense announced on Monday that it was pausing the Permanent Joint Board on Defense, arguing that Canada had failed to make "credible progress" on its defense commitments.

Ronald Stagg, a history professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, said the move is largely symbolic, but carries important political meaning because of the board's role in bilateral cooperation.

"It is largely a symbolic gesture, as the board does not meet very often each year, and has not been developing policies for some time," Stagg told China Daily.

Still, Stagg said the board has long represented the foundation of modern Canada-US defense cooperation.

"The creation of the board in 1940 marked the beginning of close cooperation between the two countries that has existed ever since," he said.

Stagg noted that the board was created when "the United States public was overwhelmingly isolationist", but then-president Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted to strengthen North American defenses as World War II intensified.

He added that the board later helped pave the way for North American Aerospace Defense Command and broader military coordination between the countries.

While Washington linked the pause to concerns over Canadian defense spending, Stagg questioned whether spending alone explained the move.

Canada spent C$63.4 billion ($46.1 billion) on national defense in 2025, meeting NATO's benchmark of spending 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense for the first time in nearly four decades.

Higher commitments

He said the US administration may now be seeking even higher defense commitments from allies.

"The question then is: Is the US expecting Canada to move toward 5 percent, an amount mentioned by President Trump that countries should aim for?" he said.

Erika Simpson, an associate professor of international politics at Western University, said the dispute comes as Canada's internal debate over defense spending intensifies under Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

"As Canada's popular Prime Minister Mark Carney settles into office with a majority government, Canada's long-simmering debate over NATO defense spending has reignited," she told China Daily.

Simpson noted that Canada has already committed to substantial increases in military expenditures.

"By 2035, Canada's defense spending is set to double, in line with NATO's new benchmark: 5 percent of GDP," she said.

But she argued that critics increasingly see the push for higher spending as tied to the interests of arms manufacturers.

"Critics argue the new target is more about fueling an arms race that enriches weapons manufacturers in the United States and Europe than about genuine security," Simpson said.

Both experts suggested the pause may reflect broader frustrations in Washington extending beyond NATO targets.

Stagg said the decision could be linked to Canada's reconsideration of its planned purchase of 88 Lockheed Martin F-35A fighter jets or its growing defense cooperation with Europe.

"Perhaps the signal is a more limited one, pressuring Canada to live up to its agreement to buy 88 F35s, a decision that Canada has been rethinking," he said.

"Could it be that the Trump administration is angry that Canada is moving toward joint defense production with the European Union?" he added.

Simpson also pointed to domestic criticism in Canada over dependence on US defense procurement.

"Many critics argue that Canada should not spend upward of 75 percent of its military procurement budget on procurement from the United States," she said.

The move could further reinforce Canada's efforts to diversify its international partnerships, both experts said.