Canada wants in on Indo-Pacific

After the slap in the face that was being left out of the US’s Indo-Pacific trade framework earlier this year, Canada is revamping efforts to increase its influence in the region.  

What happened: Canada has joined a new US-led alliance similarly aimed at strengthening ties with Indo-Pacific nations—which includes Australia, New Zealand, and dozens of Asian countries bordering the Pacific Ocean, although notably not China or Taiwan.  

Why it matters: The Indo-Pacific region currently has more suitors than this season’s Bachelorette (because of China’s encroaching influence), and like others, Canada wants a seat at the table because its economic future will be impacted by decisions made region. 

  • The region offers China a low-cost, “high-reward opportunity to score symbolic, strategic, and tactical victories in pursuit of its global agenda,” per Congress.

Bottom line: Western nations will need to balance matters of global security (as China makes warlike overtures in Taiwan) with continuing to do business with China… now that’s what we call a big first day on the job for Canada’s newly named ambassador to China.