Thank you to all of you for being here today.
If one accepts that the tensions between the U.S. and China are having a deep impact on the Canada-China relationship, as I think we should accept, then one could be forced to look in other directions. It's been suggested, for example, by former ambassador David Mulroney that, in his own words, “Getting China right requires us to get Asia right.” From there the implication is that we ought to look at east Asia and southeast Asia, and expand relations with Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Australia, the countries of the ASEAN block, for example, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
I know that we have CPTPP in place. We are moving in that direction, but I'll ask Mr. Verheul to what extent we are doing that. Can we do that even more as a way to sort of hedge and protect Canadian interests when we end up caught between two superpowers and their disputes?