Ottawa’s long-awaited Indo-Pacific strategy will cast China as an increasingly disruptive global power, in a reversal of the government’s previous policy of avoiding confrontation with the world’s second-largest economy. Foreign Minister Melanie Joly he will outline the broad themes of the government’s new strategy in a major speech to be delivered in Toronto on Wednesday at the Asia Pacific Foundation and the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. An advance transcript of the speech was provided exclusively to The Globe and Mail. In the text, Ms. Jolie says Canada must continue to do business with an authoritarian and increasingly assertive China because of the sheer size of its economy. But, he says, Ottawa must be alert to the dangers of deepening ties with a country that violates basic human rights, ignores trade and investment rules and does not share Canadian values. What Xi Jinping’s third term could mean for Canada-China relations Xi’s grip may have tightened, but he still has to contend with China’s long history of pro-democracy protests The speech sets out a road map for Canada to diversify its trade and deepen its relations with India and other nations in the region. This is a significant change from the administration’s previous approach to China. In the past, Ottawa has been reluctant to criticize Beijing in the interest of promoting economic and trade ties. “The rise of China as a global player is reshaping the strategic outlook of every state in the region, including Canada,” Ms. Joly says in the speech. “It seeks to shape the global environment into one that is more tolerant of interests and values that increasingly diverge from our own.” He adds: “The China of 1970 is not the China of today. China is an increasingly disruptive global power.” The government has been quietly formulating its Indo-Pacific strategy since 2020. An early version drafted by Global Affairs bureaucrats last summer made no mention of China. But Ms. Jolie turned down her part and took a hands-on role in writing it strategy, according to a source with direct knowledge. The Globe and Mail is not naming the source because they were not authorized to speak publicly. “Our approach to China will be outlined in the strategy. Because we cannot have an Indo-Pacific strategy without it,” says Ms Joly in her speech. He also says Ottawa will speak out about China’s brutal treatment of Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities in the Xinjiang region, “where credible reports of human rights abuses and crimes against humanity are well documented.” Canada will also continue to speak out about the crackdown on freedom of speech and media in Hong Kong, oppose escalating Chinese military action against Taiwan and seek to “deepen our economic ties” with the self-ruled island. the speech states. The concept of Canada The pursuit of stronger economic ties with Taipei is sure to be denounced by Beijing, which considers Taiwan part of China. At the same time, the speech says, Canada will work with China to fight climate change. He notes that the government will host the Chinese-chaired UN Conference on Biodiversity in Montreal next month. Ms. Jolie’s speech says Canada will add analysts to foreign missions to help Ottawa better read China. “Key embassies across our network will have dedicated experts to deepen our understanding of the challenges China poses and the opportunities it presents,” says Ms Joly. It also warns Canadian companies that they are doing business in China at their own risk. “What I would like to say to Canadians doing business in and with China: you have to keep your eyes open,” says the minister. “The decisions you make are yours. I will always respect your independence.” Earlier this month, Ottawa began cracking down on Chinese investment in Canada’s vital minerals sector, ordering three of China’s state-controlled companies to sell their stakes in Canadian lithium mines. Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne cited national security and the need to protect supply chains when announcing the order. He is one of two senior ministers who have said Canada should reduce trade with Beijing and other authoritarian states. Mr. Champagne told a Washington audience in October that Canada wants “a disengagement, certainly from China, and I would say other regimes in the world that don’t share the same values.” Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, also in October, said Canada should embrace “keeping friends” by ending dependence on authoritarian states like China for vital goods and standing up for democracies bullied by Beijing. In her speech, Ms. Jolly noted that the Indo-Pacific region, stretching from North America to the west coast of India, is home to 60 percent of the world’s population and accounts for 60 percent of the world’s gross domestic product. About 60 percent of the world’s maritime trade passes through its oceans, a third of that through the South China Sea, where Beijing has laid sweeping territorial claims. “To put it bluntly: the decisions made in the region will affect the lives of Canadians for generations,” he says. Canadian businesses are being urged to focus on Asian powerhouses Japan and South Korea, as well as Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia. Ms Jolie’s speech underscores the importance of India, whose economy is expected to grow from $2.5 trillion a year to $5 trillion over the next decade. “As India becomes the most populous country in the world, its leadership and influence will continue to grow,” says Ms Jolly. “India is looking to expand trade relations in the energy, agri-food and technology industries – all areas of Canadian strength.” The Indo-Pacific policy paper is expected to be presented during Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ms Jolie’s trips later this month to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Cambodia, the G20 summit in Indonesia and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting of economic leaders in Thailand. Following the 2018 arrest of Meng Wanzhou, a senior executive at Chinese technology company Huawei, China jailed Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig. The episode, which was resolved after the United States rejected an extradition request for Ms. Meng and China freed Messrs. Spavor and Kovrig, sent Ottawa-Beijing relations to their worst point since the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Many of Canada’s major allies, including other G7 countries, have already formulated their own Indo-Pacific strategies. US policy says that China is using all its economic, military, technological and diplomatic power to become the dominant player in the region. The “Indo-Pacific” concept is a strategic shift, first championed by Japan and embraced by Australia and the US. The idea is to build common ground between India and neighbors who have growing middle-class populations and a common interest in countering China’s growing influence in the region, and who also fear the militarization of the South China Sea and other oceanic trade routes. from Beijing.
