Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to travel the international tightrope next week as he leaves on Friday for Indo-Pacific summit meetings, one of which includes the United States and China.
The challenge will involve staying on US President Donald Trump’s good side while carefully reshaping relations with China’s Xi Jinping.
Both Trump and XI are expected at the APEC summit in South Korea at the end of next week. It is expected that Carney will meet the XI in the recruitment of the beautiful southern Korean city of Gyeongju.
Federal authorities, speaking in the background before the trip, said that Canada wants a meeting of the country with the leader of China at the summit, which will take place on Oct. 31 and Novation.
It is expected that Trump will get a meeting with the XI in Apec in the hope of calming the trade disputes, but the Chinese government is yet to confirm whether it will go.
That high-level meeting has the potential to influence Canada and other allied countries seeking a middle ground between the two economic powers.
The US and China are at Loggerheads over tariffs, technology and market access, deep-seated disputes have the potential to color the room and side meetings; Canada’s conflicts with China give Carney both support and exposure.
China’s biggest trade deals include Canada’s 100 percent surtax on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), which has resulted in Chinese imports from Canada and seafood. There are also ongoing national security concerns after an investigation into foreign interference in Canada’s political system.
It is clear that Carney will meet with Trump, given his recent visit to the White House and the ongoing trade war with Washington.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to take a hard line in dealing with Beijing.
Vina Nadjibulla, President of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, said that the challenge facing Canada and many central powers in the region will be to clarify the major power conflicts.
“They are trying not to get caught between us and China, [who are] The two giants are now engaged in strategic competition,” said Nadjibulla.
‘Essential Bloc Trading’
During last spring’s federal election, Carney promised to grow the economy through diversity. The first conference the prime minister will attend in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia among the member states of the Southeast Asian Association (Asean) will be important in that, Najibulla) will be key in that, Najibulla) will be key in that, Najibulla) will be key in that, Najibulla) will be key in that, Najibulla) will be key in that, Najibulla) will be key to that, Nadjibulla) will have the key to that, Nadjibulla) will have the key to that, Nadjibulla) will have the key to that.
Asean members include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, MyAnmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
“We want to do more together as a middle power through trade-based trade,” said Nadjibulla. “It’s a very important trading bloc.”
Canada is working on negotiating the Asean-Canada free trade agreement and in a joint statement last year the Federal Government said Canada’s action was “a timely agreement.
Despite that and the Prime Minister’s focus on many trading partners, government officials admitted Thursday that the deal is close to a year.
Nadjibulla said that it will be a serious agreement when it is agreed.
“Together they represent about 667 million people, and it is a great opportunity for us because they have a growing class, a growing economy, many needs for things like energy, food, infrastructure support, infrastructure support, technology support.”
According to the Federal documents, negotiations in acafsa have been complicated because different members of ASEAN have different levels of development.
Federal authorities, in their background briefing, said Carney’s goal at the ASEAN summit would be to “encourage rapid and substantial progress” in the free trade agreement.
