Canada-China Relations committee  I can't speak on behalf of Canadians, and that's not my job. But certainly when I look at the project list of the AIIB, I think there are important projects that are happening as a result of that institution. That is not to say that we have a conclusion with respect to what the Government of Canada's engagement is with the institution.

Canada-China Relations committee  Thank you for the question. I think perhaps the easiest way to understand the engagement of other countries is also to start by recognizing the internal review, which we heard testimony about previously, that the AIIB is conducting in respect of some of the issues that have been identified.

Canada-China Relations committee  I'm not aware of any other country that has taken the type of measure that we have taken at this point in time.

Canada-China Relations committee  The review is under way. Of the 40 interviews we've conducted to date, we have not yet reached out to particular Canadian companies who are benefiting from the institution. The review is continuing. We still have work to do.

Canada-China Relations committee  Yes, I would agree. There are clear examples of the benefits that have been brought to the AIIB as an institution and the projects it is financing, as a result of Canada's approach to multilateralism.

Canada-China Relations committee  Thank you. There are three general reasons why Canada and other members engage in multilateral development banks, including the AIIB. The first is, as I have said and as was set out in the news release when Canada joined this institution, that it's out of a desire to help foster inclusive economic growth in that region—in that particular case, the Asian region—and this is consistent with the Indo-Pacific strategy and other foreign-policy priorities of the government.

Canada-China Relations committee  I think there are a number of instances of conversations or debates that Canada has had at the board table of the AIIB, through which we have been successful in building coalitions around that table and moving the institution in ways that are not aligned with what China might have wanted, notwithstanding the fact that they are the largest shareholder.

Canada-China Relations committee  Yes. That is a key reason that we engage in an institution like this.

Canada-China Relations committee  The AIIB has invested in 178 projects. That is the project count I have before we paused our work. Of course, over the last six months, we haven't been engaged in reviewing projects or participating in project approvals. I can't speak to the specifics of those projects, including whether or not they were considered at the AIIB before or after the pause that we've engaged in.

Canada-China Relations committee  The pause has been in effect since June 14. That was the date of the original announcement by the Deputy Prime Minister. That has meant a couple of very concrete things for us. First of all, as I alluded to in one of my previous answers, it has meant that we have not participated in board of directors meetings since that time, and we have not participated in the annual meetings of the institution since that time.

Canada-China Relations committee  I just want to get some clarification. Is the question about other government partners or the breadth of partners that we have been working with on the review?

Canada-China Relations committee  Maybe it's helpful just to lay out some of the elements of the review that we've been undertaking so far; I haven't had the opportunity to do that. Since speaking with Mr. Pickard, who was one of the first interviews that we had in June, we have engaged in some 40 other interviews as well, including current and former employees of the institution, Canadians who work at the institution or have worked at the institution.

Canada-China Relations committee  We have had quite a number of conversations with international partners. As I said in a previous answer, these include not only some traditional, like-minded allies but also a breadth of other countries that are members of the institution and have views to provide for the review.

Canada-China Relations committee  Yes.

Canada-China Relations committee  What we can say is that we engage in a multilateral setting through that institution and that Canada does not have a veto on individual projects that are approved by the board of directors.