Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I am very pleased to be here with you today, sitting in for my very illustrious colleague from Edmonton Strathcona.
We are very happy to have the ambassador and the representatives of the government with us today to discuss the federal government's strategy for the Indo-Pacific region. The strategy offers us a lot of opportunities, but also presents challenges and difficulties that it is wise to understand clearly in relation to the geopolitical situation in that region.
First, we need to get a little perspective. What factors influenced the decision to develop and implement a strategy for the Indo-Pacific region in particular? Where did this idea come from?