- 00:00Really, the geopolitical landscape is becoming very, very difficult for all
countries involved. Tell us a little bit about how these
partnerships with ASEAN countries might help Canada in overcoming these
challenges. Well, Cherie, it’s always great to see
you and to be on the program. And it’s really terrific to be here at
the ASEAN Economic Ministers meeting. It’s it’s it’s what I look forward to my
calendar every year. And before we get into the business, I
want to actually just say, because I’m in Lao.
How wonderful it is that the two countries, Canada, Lao, are celebrating
our 50 years of diplomatic relations. So it’s even more special to be here.
But look to your question. ASEAN is really important to Canada.
It is pretty central and prominently featured in Canada’s Indo-Pacific
strategy. And what are we really talking about
here? We’re talking about an economy and a
region that is dynamic and growing. And and what Canada is seeking to do
here in the region is to deepen and to build resilient supply chain with the
member states and the countries that are part of ASEAN.
And I think that building of resiliency and certainly through something like
negotiating a Canada ASEAN FTA helps create better and more partnerships for
those, you know, for those here in ASEAN and certainly with the with Canadian
businesses back home. We have seen, of course, the tensions
when it comes to securing the supply chains around technology and really
pushing back against those ambitions from Beijing when it comes to advanced
tech. How important is securing these supply
chains? We have seen these explosions across
Lebanon using pagers and other devices, and that seems to be sending even a
higher global alarm about what needs to be done to secure the every part of
these devices that are made globally remain in the hands of trusted partners.
Well, that’s a really good point, because, you know, whether it is the
what we are seeing of late, but we have been seeing this, frankly, since
Covid-19 the World War, remember the shocks to our supply chains that we were
experiencing the disruptions. And I think that was really a wake up
call for all of us in the global trading system to make sure that there is
greater resiliency, that we are creating these partnerships with partners and
around the world. As I said it again, which is really
important part of Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy.
What are we doing here? I mean, I over the last over the last
year and some have taken several trade missions specifically here into into the
ASEAN member states. I’ve been to Singapore, to Malaysia,
Vietnam, I’ll be in Philippines and Indonesia later this year and other
ASEAN markets into next year. But what does that really mean?
It means businesses, Canadian businesses coming here in the ASEAN, creating those
trade and investment relationships right here in the region.
So we’re creating those partnerships. We’re creating those investment
partnerships and those relationships. And when you’re talking about supply
chain, it is the company that is manufacturing a part perhaps here, or
creating a technology in Canada, creating that kind of collaboration and
partnership to make those supply chains more resilient.
And it’s underpinned by strong FTAs. I also want to say to ASEAN colleagues
here, remember, when you trade with Canada, you are trading with over 65% of
the world’s economy through Canada’s free trade agreements.
We have them with you. In really important markets like that in
the North America or the European Union and many, many of the Asian Pacific
countries through the TPP. So working with Canada and and us doing
this with ASEAN member states means more resiliency underpinned by a rules based
trading order. Minister, it was interesting.
We heard from Ambassador Maye recently saying that, you know, Canada doesn’t
see Beijing as an adversary. To what extent, though, is it important
for Canada to be in these emerging markets as a counterbalance in a way
against or not against, but alongside perhaps China’s interests and
investments as well? Yeah, I mean, we were really clear at
the outset when we laid out our Indo-Pacific strategy, the relationship
that we have with China and the relationship we’ve really clear, it’s
one we characterize it as the forces there are going to be opportunities for
us to cooperate. There are opportunities for us to
compete. There, of course, are opportunities for
us to challenge, as you are seeing in Canada’s latest decisions with respect
to tariffs on electric vehicles to deal with overcapacity and over
subsidisation. But we also are going to coexist.
So that is a that’s the nature of the way that kind of sees the relationship.
But it is also equally important in this market of the azn, 700 million people,
the fifth largest economy, third most populous in the world.
I mean, this is really, really important because if I think about Canada, what is
the strength between Canada and the ASEAN?
It’s the people to people ties. I mean, I am you know, I’m a Chinese
Canadian, but there are also Canadians. In fact, my Canadian ambassadors allow
is a in Canadian. We have Malaysian, Canadians,
Singaporean, Canadians, Vietnamese, Canadians and and so forth.
So the strength of this people to people Thai here in the ASEAN, I think is a
real area of strength for Canada and the ASEAN and building along, you know,
building on that foundation of not only the 50, the 50 or diplomatic Tiger Lao,
but 47 years with the ASEAN between Canada and as yet and those people to
people ties and having frameworks like like free trade agreements to which we
are negotiating at the table creates the conditions for us to build more
resiliency and create opportunities. At the end of the day, when I bring
these trade missions to camps here into the region from from Canada.
There are many small and medium sized businesses that are there.
There are women owned businesses, young entrepreneurs that are part of this,
seeing this part of the market in this region to be dynamic for growth and for
investment. We are attracting and seeing those very
that interest as well into Canada from investors and people in the region.
This is how we build resiliency based on rules based trade, based on these
relationships and building on something that Canada I think has a real
advantage, which is this people to people Thai as the multicultural and
diverse country that we are. At the same time, we see these stars
when it comes to Chinese EV’s potential counter tariffs, potential limit
negotiations on other trade measures as well.
Do you see this as sort of potentially, you know, dangerously
slipping into the possibility of a tit for tat trade war?
And does that risk actually worsen depending on if there is another Trump
presidency after the election? Well, Canada is or has always been
through our entire history, a rules based country.
We stand up for the rules based international order.
Canada is an open trading country, but we are a fair trade country.
What we negotiate and what we stand up for or, you know, are standing up for
industries to ensure that there is fair competition globally.
There are competition for us also includes making sure that we are
tackling climate change in the growth of our economies, making sure that our
workers, you know, have fairness in pay and and standards.
I mean, that’s that’s that’s fair trade. And and I do believe that that that our
trading system around the world, I believe that other countries want that
as well. So so as a rules based trading country.
Canada lives up by our standards. And and and it is a challenge today.
But I think we need to work through those challenge.
But I think we also need to be honest about those issues that is causing
perhaps some of the issues that that that that is causing you know, that is
causing unfair competition. And and I think about the work that we
do in Canada through the auto group on reforming the WTO.
That’s some of the work that is really important for Canada as well, making
sure that we are not only standing up for the system but being a real
participant to ensure that the rules based international order is something
that we continue to work and work with our with our friends around the world to
do.
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