Canada presented this Sunday an envelope of 2,300 million Canadian dollars (about 1,650 million euros) for its economic and diplomatic strategy in the Asia-Pacific region, where Ottawa wants to become a “genuine and reliable partner” against China.
To strengthen its presence and influence in the Asia-Pacific, Ottawa plans to strengthen its military capabilities in the Pacific, including dispatching a frigate, developing trade and investment, supporting “feminist international aid” programs, funding “sustainable infrastructure” and the strengthening of the Canadian diplomatic network, indicates a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “The future of the Indo-Pacific is ours; we have a role to play in shaping it. To do this, we must be a genuine and trustworthy partner” among Western allies, argued Canadian diplomat Mélanie Joly, in this press release. .
A ten year strategy
This roadmap aims to “deepen our engagement in the Indo-Pacific over the next 10 years, increasing our contribution to regional peace and security,” the document states. This strategy is revealed after a tour of the region by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mélanie Joly, who attended several summits: the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the G20 in Bali, in Indonesia and that of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (Apec), in Bangkok.
Canada, in disagreement with China, does not hide that its strategy for the region was formulated as a reaction to the influence of Beijing. “There is a fundamental problem with the fact that China currently does not respect international standards and tries to modify or interpret them for its own benefit,” Minister Joly told the Quebec daily La Presse. “There is a geopolitical risk in doing business in China,” he said.
Source: BFM TV
