TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Canada launched the Indo-Pacific Strategy on Sunday, November 27, 2022, with a capital of US$1.7 billion or approximately IDR 26.7 trillion to enhance military security and cyber security. This plan was launched because Canada wanted to compete China in the zone.

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Nevertheless, Canada is willing to work with China to overcome common problems on various issues.

Four cabinet ministers took turns detailing the new plan. The new Indo-Pacific agenda is essential to Canada’s national security and to its climate and economic goals.

“We are going to engage in diplomacy because we believe diplomacy is power, at the same time we are going to be assertive and that is why we now have a very transparent plan to engage with China,” he said. said Foreign Secretary Melanie Joly at a press conference. press conference in Vancouver.

The plan, detailed in the 26-page document, states that Canada will tighten rules on foreign investment to protect intellectual property. They also want to prevent Chinese state-owned companies from sourcing important minerals from Canada.

Canada is seeking to deepen its ties with the rapidly growing Indo-Pacific region. But Canada is focused on China, amid a frozen bilateral relationship.

The Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants to diversify trade relations and an economy that is heavily dependent on the United States. Official data from September 2022 shows that bilateral trade with China is just under 7% of the total, compared to 68% for the United States.

Canada’s outreach to Asian allies also comes as Washington has shown signs of growing distrust of free trade in recent years.