Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to all of the witnesses for being with us today and sharing this information.
One thing that stayed in my mind as I was listening to the testimony was in regard to the role China plays in the region. Obviously, the Indo-Pacific strategy was put in place to help Canada diversify its dependence on China. We are hearing about how, for example, with the CPTPP—Mr. Kmiec, I'm having the same problem as you—China would like to block Taiwan from joining. That said, obviously China is not a member, but members would be deeply influenced by China. We saw this at the United Nations Human Rights Council. The power China has is not necessarily overt, but rather subliminal.
Would this not be a real concern we might have within multiple frameworks? The CPTPP would be one, as is developing relationships with others, because of the pressure China puts on those countries. They depend on China more than they depend on us. I'm curious about that.
I'll go to all three of you.
I am also curious, as you're answering that, about one of the other comments I found interesting: that Canada has a strength because we are not the U.S. or China. However, are we not seen as a very close ally of the United States? Does that not impact some of the decisions being made within the region?
Maybe I'll start with you, Mr. Ostwald.