Canada is formulating a new Indo-Pacific policy that will not only reflect its recent break with China, but may be more in line with India’s goals in the region.
The indication of this potential change came when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with his newly appointed Japanese counterpart, Suga Yoshihide. One reading of the conversation used language that has become fundamental to that applied by the nations of the Quad: India, Japan, Australia and the United States, as it said that they wanted the two nations to “promote a free Indo-Pacific region. and open “.
That free and open formulation, known as FOIP, has been used as an abbreviation for the containment of an increasingly aggressive China in the region. That symbolic wording comes as Canada is considering issuing a new Indo-Pacific policy in the coming weeks. According to a report recently published in the Toronto Star, Global Affairs Canada has been working on the revised policy since November last year. The National Post newspaper stated that Canada is “preparing to launch a new, tougher approach to dealing with Beijing” and has been in the works since the appointment of François-Philippe Champagne as Foreign Minister in 2019.
Indian officials did not comment on this matter, but noted an increase in official communication between New Delhi and Ottawa in recent times, including discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trudeau.
The Trudeau administration may also be acting to reflect the mood of the public in Canada, which has largely turned against China. According to a survey in late June by the Angus Reid Institute (ARI), 81% of respondents “feel that they should boycott products made in China to send a message”, while 91% considered the situation between the two nations ” serious. ”Similarly, 93% felt that“ China cannot be trusted to defend human rights ”.
Significantly, a Canadian warship sailed from the South China Sea into the Taiwan Strait this week in a move that could irritate Beijing as China has become more belligerent in the area.
Relations between Ottawa and Beijing have plummeted since the arrest of a top executive at Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei in Vancouver in late 2018. Meng Wanzhou continues to face trial that could lead to his extradition to the United States. In retaliation, China arrested two Canadians, including a former diplomat, actions that the Canadian government described as “hostage diplomacy.”
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