The government and trade experts are talking about the strategy.
Canada has a strategy to expand trade, security and build a green future with 40 nations that include China, India and Japan.
The strategy pledges to deepen Canada's ties with a region that is projected to host a third of the world's middle-income population by 2030.
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Canada will negotiate with China, the largest trade partner for most of the countries in the region, at a time when Western nations are looking to shift their supply chains away from the Asian giant.
The government and trade experts are talking about the strategy.
Businesses that are operating in China will continue to be supported by me. The trade commissioner service is going to be focused on making sure that Canadian businesses get the right advice about doing business in China, but we are also going to position our Canadian tools to help businesses grow. I want to grow trade.
When it comes to trade missions, it's incredibly important for us to take the Team Canada set of missions out there and I think in the region, what you are seeing is this collaboration where I as the trade minister will be able to do trade diplomacy at the same time opening up those It's very synergistic. I want to increase the impact of Canadian businesses going into the region and support that effort in an aggressive way.
There is a trade minister.
The photo was taken by Blair Gable.
This time around, I have taken a different approach. The creation of an India desk is a part of the strategy. The economy is large. Helping our businesses get into that market is one of the things we are doing.
Canada is going to have its own trade representative in the Indo- Pacific. This is about Canada having a bigger presence in Asia. To make sure that Canadian businesses have a base to operate from in Southeast Asia, we want to make sure that they have a base in Canada. The door is also a door. I want them to look at Canada's investment opportunities.
Allam said that the strategy was a good start and that Canada was committed to the long-term.
Canada has an opportunity to regain lost ground and seize an opportunity to attract new foreign investment and rebuild export muscle that was lost in recent years.
It's unrealistic to assume that Canada can tap into foreign investment and know-how to build a powerful, export oriented economy if we simply run a few plays.
To win the best export deals and attract foreign investment in the Canadian economy, we need to play to our strengths. To help Canadian businesses compete against rising competitors, we need to use more government-to-government arrangements with foreign buyers. There are instruments and tools that can't be ignored.
The time is right to map out the rest of the world. Canada needs an updated and balanced international trade and investment plan so we can win the best export deals and attract high value inward investments. This needs to be top of mind.
Dade said in an interview that the federal government missed some of the small things. I would give them an 'A' on China because they got this largely correct.
If you try to flee from China, you run into China. We don't mean the old way of thinking about China like it's at the center, so we are going to try and sell more or we are going to try and China is the dominant economic influence so you need to understand how that affects the countries you are trying to trade with.
China is building the roads and ports that will allow our goods to travel through the region.
There are trucks at the China-Mongolia border.
The photo was taken by Uugansukh Byamba/ savesay.
Getting the provinces to do more can help the strategy.
We show up and disappear around the world. We tend to disappear when there is a change in government. For this strategy to be taken seriously, there needs to be an indication that the changes in government will last.
The perception in the region will be, 'Look who finally bothered to show up.' How long are they going to stay? We have to dig ourselves out of the hole that we have been in.
Miller said in an interview that new demand for natural gas will come from Asia over the next 25 years.
The government needs to say that they believe in the long term, not only potential, but reality of Canada's Liquefied Natural Gas industry.
In time we will be able to develop more clean hydrogen but as you see from the case of Europe, transforming the energy system overnight where they were getting significant amounts of their energies from Russia has meant a number of perverse consequences. Coal-fired power plants have been used in at least five European countries. The people are concerned about the environment. Would it make sense to supply Germans with natural gas instead of burning coal?
It is easier for a business to partner with the government in Asia than it is to do it on their own. If you have a good partnership with the government, it will be easier.
The resources that the minister has put behind this, particularly for knowledge development and how it is that markets work, how do we make sure that we have local understanding, expertise? That is an important investment being made here.
The minister has told the business community to be very pragmatic. Business is in the business of managing risks, so you need to be clear eyed about entering into a market where there are risks. We know how to do that, and we will do it. We will calculate and make decisions based on that calculation, but we are glad that no one told us not to. It would have been harmful to our customers.
The response was a mature one.
There is a big missed opportunity here. The entire document, which is very detailed, fails to mention the project, which is going to be functional in the year 2025.
I think it's stubbornness that wants to not leverage such a huge resource and something that is in global demand. It's a shame that you can't get us your resources because it's forcing us to buy them from autocratic countries
There is a construction site for Liquefied Natural Gas in Kitimat, B.C.
The photo was taken by Liquefied Natural Gas Canada.
The energy transition is abetted by our capacity to provide markets with Liquefied Natural Gas to help them decarbonize, which is what many of these countries are returning to.
The prime minister and deputy prime minister both said that they needed to identify and expedite projects to get resources to markets to help other countries decarbonize and get off oil and gas, but it failed to do so. It is a huge missed opportunity.
A comprehensive strategy to export far greater quantities of food, fuel and fertilizer to the region is the biggest immediate contribution Canada can make. The opening of the Agriculture and Agri-food Office is a step in the right direction.
The rapidly-growing communities of Canadians who trace their roots to the region provide a much-underutilized source of people who speak the languages.
One size doesn't fit all because of the region's large and diverse nature. Canada's priorities will need to be very different within and outside the country. We will be getting more information about the government's approach to Canada's relationship with other countries as well.
Mulroney said that the government discovers Asia every ten years. There is no reason to think they will be able to chart their way through Asia.
1/2 Listening to Joly and colleagues announce their discovery of Asia was surreal. The govt "discovers" Asia every 5-10 years. There's no reason to believe the expenditures they announced will enable them to chart their way through Asia or anywhere else
— David Mulroney (@David_Mulroney) November 27, 2022
They want us to believe that our focus should be in the Pacific rather than here in Canada. There is no plan to fight Chinese interference. Wanting to get it out of the news.
Lilly said that there was no mention offriendshoring. The strategy proposes to double down on adherence to rules as a response to protectionism.
Canada has released its long overdue Indo-Pacific Strategy.
Lots to digest. But I’m happy that recommendations from my recent co-authored chapter (with A. Li) on Canada’s geoeconomic priorities for the region are reflected (1/6): https://t.co/pmUNjcpT4P
— Meredith Lilly (@LillyResearch) November 27, 2022
I am pleased with the stated priorities and seriousness of tone despite the long delay and politically expedient release.
India is likely to represent both the crown jewel and the wild card within the strategy. Economic, trade, environment, immigration and security co-operation are all possibilities. There is a risk of a failure-to-launch in some areas where India's domestic focus may keep some opportunities with Canada off the table. It will be difficult to complete a trade agreement between Canada and India.
The China section of the strategy seems to acknowledge the risk of economic disputes between the two countries. The strategy shows that Canada's approach to China will be part of the overall strategy. There are questions about how policies onfriendshoring might evolve. Which countries would be friendly enough? The answer is likely to be a larger group of countries.
The email address is nkarim@postmedia.
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