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Commentaries

Canada and Southeast Asia: entering through a different door

Pages 202-206 | Published online: 25 Jun 2023
 

ABSTRACT

Ottawa's November 2022 Indo-Pacific strategy has a major Southeast Asian component encased in a new positioning on China and regional geo-politics. It is a significant departure from key elements of the Asia Pacific efforts that began in the late 1980s and emphasized open regionalism, cooperative security, inclusive multilateralism, and engagement of China. While Southeast Asian countries welcome aspects of the IPS including attention to trade and investment and people-to-people ties, it is seen as potentially eroding ASEAN centrality and Canada's traditional Middle Power role in favour of a harder line against China and closer alignment with the US and its like-minded allies. Enter Indo-Pacific, au revoir Asia Pacific.

RESUME

La stratégie indopacifique (SIP) adoptée par Ottawa en novembre 2022 comporte une importante composante consacrée à l'Asie du Sud-Est, qui s'inscrit dans une nouvelle approche de la Chine et de la géopolitique régionale. Il s'agit d'une rupture importante avec les éléments clés des efforts déployés en Asie-Pacifique depuis la fin des années 80, qui mettaient l'accent sur un régionalisme ouvert, une sécurité coopérative, un multilatéralisme inclusif et l'engagement de la Chine. Si certains pays d'Asie du Sud-Est se félicitent de certains aspects de la SIP, notamment de l'attention accordée au commerce et à l'investissement, ainsi qu'aux relations interpersonnelles, ils considèrent aussi qu'elle risque d'éroder la centralité de l'ANASE et le rôle traditionnel de puissance moyenne du Canada au profit d'une position plus dure à l'égard de la Chine et d'un alignement plus étroit sur les États-Unis et leurs alliés de même sensibilité. Entrée en scène de l'indopacifique, au revoir Asie-Pacifique.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, June 2019, https://asean.org/asean2020/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ASEAN-Outlook-on-the-Indo-Pacific_FINAL_22062019.pdf. It does not include the words democracy, human rights, or alliances.

2 14 essays commissioned for the conference can be found in “Southeast Asia in an Evolving Global Landscape: Prospects for an Integrated Region and Implications for Canada,” Vancouver: University of British Columbia, Institute of Asian Research, 2017. https://sppga.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/10/1SEA-26Oct2017.pdf

3 ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, “The State of Southeast Asia: 2022 Survey Report,” 16 February 2022, https://www.iseas.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/The-State-of-SEA-2022_FA_Digital_FINAL.pdf

4 See Cheng-Chwee Kuik and Paul Evans, “ASEAN and Ukraine: Non-Alignment via Multi-alignment,” TI Observer, Vol. 21, June 2022, http://www.taiheglobal.org/Content/2022/06-30/1115477342.html

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