Canada was a founding member of the Asia-Pacific Economic forum in 1990, has been a dialogue partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum since its formation in 1994, is a member of the Asian Development Bank, and joined the Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in 2017.
And yet despite all of this, Canada has been lax in articulating a broad and clearly articulated strategic approach to the Indo-Pacific region. A paradigm shift is required.
This Macdonald-Laurier Institute webinar video features discussion from numerous experts and voices exploring the volatility and opportunity in the Indo-Pacific, and how Canada — alongside its traditional partners and allies — can assertively defend its interests and promote freedom, openness, and a rules-based order in the region.
Garima Mohan, a transatlantic fellow in the Asia program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, says that, in countries such as India especially, while there is a renewed and remarkable appetite to develop new partnerships and work in issues-based coalitions with aligned countries, some considerations must be made.
“From a regional perspective it is important to note that Canada is already coming into a quite crowded region. It is important for Canada therefore to talk about its capabilities, what it brings to the region. Second, it is important not to work at cross-purposes with your partners in the region, therefore coordination is quite important. And most importantly where can Canada plug into the flexible coalitions on technology, on supply chains, on strategic use of development aid…And finally, all countries are striking a balancing act on China. So Canada’s policy on China will definitely have an impact on its Indo-Pacific engagement.”
