Anand heads for Malaysia, Japan as part of Carney's Indo-Pacific trade, defence strategy
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Anand will meet with her Japanese counterpart in Tokyo this week as the two finalize an agreement on sharing defence information and boosting trade.
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On Thursday and Friday, Anand will take part in a meeting with the Association of South East Asian Nations, or ASEAN, in Malaysia.
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Canada is looking to sign a trade deal with the ASEAN bloc this year, and in 2023 entered into a strategic partnership with the bloc that's expected to lead to business expansion, educational exchanges and projects combating biological threats.
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Carney has largely focused on defence, security and trade ties with European nations in his first months in office, though he did sign a deal with Australia for an Arctic radar system.
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Former prime minister Justin Trudeau's government launched an Indo-Pacific strategy in 2022, seeking more trade and defence ties as a means to counter dependence on China.
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In a report on the strategy's implementation published last week, Global Affairs Canada says it has posted more than 70 new diplomats across the region since the strategy was launched.
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Kai Ostwald, a University of British Columbia political scientist, wrote in a recent analysis that Canada is building its brand in Southeast Asia through visits by the prime minister and a series of educational and trade delegations.
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He wrote for the Asia Pacific Foundation that interest in Canada has been boosted by U.S. President Donald Trump pushing away from multilateralism and international trade.
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'Even if Canada cannot offer clarity on the path ahead, many in the region want it at the table as an interlocutor and sounding board while they navigate the turbulence,' Ostwald wrote.
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