The Help Sub Indo

[Hermila Farquhar]

Ourpeople-to-people ties are a vital part of this opportunity. Canada attracts talented people from the Indo-Pacific to study in our schools and universities, to work in our communities and to live in and contribute to our society. In fact, Canada welcomes more international students from India than from any other country in the world. These ties enrich our social and economic fabric and make us stronger. Simply put: the rise of the Indo-Pacific can create extraordinary local benefits, as well as increase prosperity and drive economic growth across Canada.

Despite several decades of broad economic growth, many parts of the Indo-Pacific region face ongoing development challenges. Poverty and inequality remain realities for far too many people in the region. Canada is committed to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals in cooperation with partners across the region. The benefits of inclusive social, economic and environmental efforts will have a multiplier effect throughout the region and in Canada.

Canada is a Pacific country. It shares 25,000 kilometres of Pacific coastline, robust trading relationships with economies across the region, deep people-to-people ties and a rich history of cultural exchange.

Indigenous Peoples in Canada have called Pacific coast lands and shorelines home for millennia, and they have shared Indigenous trade networks that have historically extended to Indigenous Peoples all around the Pacific.

Each year, large numbers of tourists travel from Indo-Pacific countries to experience Canada or visit loved ones. And hundreds of thousands of Canadians travel to the Indo-Pacific to study, experience its cultures or do business. At heart, our ties to the region are all about people and a shared history. Canadians and our Indo-Pacific neighbours share a deep appreciation of each other.

As an active, engaged and reliable partner in the Indo-Pacific, Canada will deepen relationships that have been built through decades of government, private sector, security and civil society cooperation. The rising influence of the Indo-Pacific region is a once-in-a-generation global shift that requires a generational Canadian response.

To seize opportunities in the national interest of Canadians, while defending the values they hold dear, Canada will invest in building capacity to engage with countries across the region, while paying particular attention to Australia, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, China, India, Japan, Pacific Island Countries, the Republic of Korea and New Zealand.

Overall, Canada will defend its national interests. The first objective commits Canada to promoting peace, resilience and security (Objective 1) in the Indo-Pacific. Stability in this region directly impacts the safety, prosperity and security of Canadians. Canada will invest in an enhanced military presence, along with intelligence and cyber security, to promote security in the region and ensure the safety of Canadians. Canada will build on its Women, Peace and Security agenda and its established security partnerships to reinforce regional capabilities and promote stability.

Canada will also focus on trade, investment and supply chain resilience (Objective 2) to seize economic opportunities and strengthen and diversify our regional partnerships, building a stronger and more secure economy at home while strengthening our economic ties across the Indo-Pacific.

Canada is committed to fighting climate change and ensuring a sustainable and green future (Objective 4) for people from the Indo-Pacific and for Canadians. Canada will share expertise in clean technology, oceans management, energy transition and climate finance, and it will work collaboratively across the region to reduce emissions and prevent further biodiversity loss. Canada will also work in concert with G7 partners to help the region meet its growing $2.1 trillion infrastructure funding gap.

Canada has strong relationships with partners and friends in the Indo-Pacific. We must build on this foundation by deepening our existing friendships and seeking new partners. We must show the world the very best of what Canada has to offer, diversify our diplomatic networks and be a stronger force for positive change.

There are also countries in the region with whom Canada fundamentally disagrees; we must be clear-eyed about the threats and risks they pose. But the collective challenges we face, such as climate change, biodiversity loss and nuclear proliferation, are too important to tackle in isolation. We must remain in dialogue with those with whom we do not see eye-to-eye. Where we can, we will pursue mutually beneficial collaboration, anchored in our commitment to protecting the safety of Canadians and the strategic interests of Canada.

Canada will deliver feminist international assistance programming across the region, responding to the needs of countries, including Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Pacific Island Countries. We will strengthen cooperation with key countries across the region to support their transition into more inclusive and prosperous partners.

As we forge ahead with a strong, broad-based approach to China, we must always remember to differentiate between the actions of the current Chinese government, with whom we have differences, and the Chinese people. The bedrock of our relations remains the people of Canada and China. The long-standing connections we share and the extraordinary contributions of Canadians of Chinese heritage to Canada will continue to bring diversity and depth to our relationship for decades to come.

While remaining consistent with our One China Policy, Canada will continue our multifaceted engagement with Taiwan, which includes collaborating on trade, technology, health, democratic governance and countering disinformation. Canada will oppose unilateral actions that threaten the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.

The North Pacific faces growing security challenges, notably from North Korea, as its increasingly frequent and reckless testing of missiles demonstrates. Since the Korean War, when 516 Canadians made the ultimate sacrifice, Canada has never left the Korean Peninsula; rather, it has continuously served, through the UN Command, in support of peace on the peninsula. Today, that includes sustained and persistent deployments of Canadian Armed Forces planes and frigates that monitor activities that are in violation of UN sanctions, and which are aimed to deter nuclear proliferation.

The Republic of Korea is a strong democratic partner with which we share bilateral and global strategic interests. Canada and the Republic of Korea are tightly connected through long-standing trade and cultural ties and a history of mutual support. Canada will:

At present, Canadian Armed Forces members contribute to regional stability through stand-alone and multinational operations, such as supporting the implementation of UN sanctions imposed against North Korea through Operation NEON. Canada also contributes to upholding the international law of the sea including the UN convention through forward naval presence operations in the waters of the Indo-Pacific.

Like countries around the world, Canada is concerned by the rise of coercive and irresponsible use of technology. The spread of disinformation, ransomware and other cyber security threats directly affect Canadians, working to destabilize our democracy and our economy. Canada will take a leadership role in combatting these threats, investing in expertise and technology to better protect all Canadians.

As an Arctic nation, Canada is conscious that powers in the Indo-Pacific region are looking to the Arctic as a region of opportunity. Canada is committed to maintaining the peace and stability of the region and the safety, health and resilience of Canadian Northern populations and Indigenous Peoples. At a time of accelerating impact of climate change and rising geopolitical competition, Canada will advance its standing as an Arctic power and uphold our Arctic sovereignty and the rules-based international order in our bilateral and multilateral engagement with Indo-Pacific countries on Arctic and polar affairs. We will do so responsibly and sustainably, together with partners.

We are also witnessing competition to define the rules for trade and technology in the region and for the world. In this context, Canada will work hard to promote rules-based trade in the region, expand trade and digital partnerships and enhance innovation and research. Canada will also increase funding to support inclusive economic growth and start new partnerships to promote trade and develop technologies.

This will support good jobs in Canada and ensure we are meeting the needs of countries in the Indo-Pacific. It is in our national interest to expand trade and investments and to reinforce supply chain resilience.

Emerging patterns of protectionism and economic coercion are of significant concern to Canada. Canada is committed to a trade system that is stable and inclusive, and which creates economic prosperity for everyone. To better position Canada to respond to new geopolitical shocks and bilateral trade barriers, Canada will strengthen our supply chains through new and existing trade and investment agreements; investments in domestic infrastructure that increase trade flows and facilitate stronger business-to-business relationships. Canada will increase its engagement in regard to the shaping of international standards and norms, particularly in the technology sector. This, in turn, will create new opportunities for Canadian businesses and ensure a strong economy for years and decades to come.

Canada is deeply connected to the Indo-Pacific region through people. Almost 20% of new Canadians come from the region, close to 18% of Canadians have family ties to the region and 60% of the international students coming to Canada hail from the Indo-Pacific. Students come to study in Canada and often stay to work, to contribute and to join Canadian society. Those who return home forever carry with them the knowledge and experiences gained in Canada.

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