Canada must maintain its presence in Southeast Asia if it wants to benefit from the region's economic boom, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday at the end of his visit to Laos.
Trudeau attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit this week, marking his third time attending the annual meeting.
The Prime Minister said that building ties with ASEAN members is not about political ideology or leaving a government footprint, but rather about recognizing the economic opportunities in the region.
But Trudeau said Canadians need to make their presence felt in the region to take advantage of what Southeast Asia has to offer.
“That's a really big part of the challenge – making sure we show up,” Trudeau said at a news conference Friday.
“Emerging as a leader, yes, but more importantly, showing up as a company on trade missions, building those connections, investing in a greater maritime security and defense presence, making greater investments in modernizing embassies and opening trade offices.”
During the visit, Trudeau announced that Canada was upgrading its diplomatic missions in Vientiane, Laos, and Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to full embassies.
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At the summit, he also announced a package of funds worth $128 million, most of which will be allocated to environmental protection and the fight against climate change.
The visit to Laos comes as Canada is working on a free trade agreement with the ten-nation bloc and a separate agreement with Indonesia, which both countries aim to sign by the end of the year.
Together, ASEAN countries represented Canada's fourth-largest trading partner last year, and trade with the region has almost doubled since 2015.
The visit also builds on the Liberal government's Indo-Pacific strategy, which sets out a roadmap to strengthen military and economic relations in the region and counterbalance China's influence.
Canada's efforts are part of broader Western efforts to pursue stronger economic and political relations with Southeast Asian countries, primarily to reduce dependence on Chinese goods.
Countries in the region have their own concerns about China, including ongoing disputes in the South China Sea.
The ASEAN summit followed a series of violent maritime confrontations between China and ASEAN members the Philippines and Vietnam, which raised fears that China's assertive actions could escalate into a full-scale conflict.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a summit of Southeast Asian leaders on Friday that the United States is concerned about China's “increasingly dangerous and unlawful” actions and pledged that the United States will continue to uphold freedom of navigation in the vital maritime lane. commercial.
Asked about the escalation, Trudeau said Canada wants international law to be respected.
“These are things that we adhere to – and not only stay on paper, but we show it every time we send a Coast Guard vessel or a (Canadian Armed Forces) military vessel through the South China Sea. These are international waters and must be open to all navigation,” he said.
— With files from the Associated Press.
