Foreign Affairs Committee on April 16th, 2026

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

I call this meeting to order.

Colleagues and friends, welcome to meeting number 30 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Thursday, February 12, 2026, the committee is meeting on the review of Canada's Indo-Pacific strategy.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format. Members are attending in person and also remotely using the Zoom application.

I would now like to welcome our witnesses.

From the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, we have Weldon Epp, assistant deputy minister, Indo-Pacific; Valérie Samaan, director general, Indo-Pacific strategy planning, policy and operations; Darren Smith, executive director, Indo-Pacific trade policy division; and Aly-Khan Rajani, director, Indo-Pacific regional coordination, policy and planning division. From the Canadian Armed Forces, we have Colonel Jérome Patry, J35 expeditionary, future operations, Canadian joint operations command. From the Department of National Defence, we have we have Inderjit Nijjar, deputy director general, international security policy.

Up to five minutes will be given for opening remarks, after which we will proceed with rounds of questions from members of the committee.

I now invite Mr. Epp to make an opening statement.

Welcome.

[Weldon Epp, Assistant Deputy Minister, Indo-Pacific, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development]

Mr. Chair and members of the committee, thank you very much for inviting us to speak today about Canada's Indo-Pacific strategy and the region as a whole.

Let me begin by saying that the Indo-Pacific remains the world's fastest-growing economic region and the primary driver of global growth. It comprises more than 40 economies, over four billion people and roughly $50 trillion in economic activity.

As a peaceful nation, our prosperity, security and long-term resilience are increasingly influenced by the development of this region. However, while there are ample economic opportunities, geopolitical risks also increase.

According to the government, this new context only reinforces the relevance of the Indo-Pacific region for Canada. The five-year funding of Canada's Indo-Pacific strategy continues to support this central policy instrument to advance Canada's interests and objectives in the region. It's important to note that the strategy was designed as an adaptive framework with an integrated review process to react to an evolving regional context.

As we update the Indo-Pacific strategy—by “update” I mean both in action and in terms of policy advice and decisions taken over the past year—we are increasingly focusing on accelerating our trade diversification efforts, on building strong partnerships that reinforce economic resilience and strategic autonomy, and on developing variable geometry co-operation that draws on Canada's strengths in energy, critical minerals, technology, defence production, AI and other sectors. A concrete example of this is the new Australia-Canada-India technology and innovation partnership.

Let me say a few words about what Canada has accomplished since 2022.

First, Canada's commitment to the region has been reinforced through sustained engagement at the highest level. We had more ministerial and Prime Minister visits to the region between 2022 and 2026 than in any other comparable period in recent history.

Second, from a security standpoint, we've increased our naval presence in the region through Operation Horizon, our participation in multinational exercises, as well as sanctions monitoring through Operation Neon. We have new defence and security agreements with Japan, South Korea and the Philippines. Our partners appreciate the reinforced and regular nature of our engagement and recognize our contributions.

Third, trade and investment diversification remain at the heart of Canada's approach. Since 2023, Canada has led team Canada trade missions to nine Indo-Pacific markets, including six member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN. Canada also concluded negotiations on the Canada-Indonesia comprehensive economic partnership agreement last fall, and we continue to advance trade negotiations with ASEAN, the Philippines, Thailand and India.

Canada has also strengthened its commercial presence through expanded Export Development Canada offices across the region and increased regional engagement by FinDev Canada and the Asia Pacific Foundation, among others. I'll also point to the new office of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Manila, which is supporting market access, food security and supply chain resilience across the region.

Let me take a moment briefly to talk about some of our major regional partnerships.

Canada's strategic partnership with ASEAN, established in 2023, is elevating our engagement across Southeast Asia through deeper co-operation on the digital economy, energy transition and food security. These efforts advance our diversification objectives and strengthen Canada's supply chain resilience by positioning us as a long-term economic partner in the region. Following the Prime Minister's participation in last October's ASEAN summit, both sides are committed to completing negotiations on a Canada-ASEAN free trade agreement by the end of this year.

Separately, we've built dynamic, bilateral relationships with partner governments across the region. Canada's strengths in both conventional energy and clean energy across the subsectors position us as a reliable partner for countries across the region, including Japan and South Korea, as they navigate their energy transition or seek to enhance long-term energy security.

Let me say a few words about India. Over the past year, we've made significant progress in renewing our bilateral relationship, guided by a clear and pragmatic approach based on two complementary pillars: security and diplomacy. This two-track approach has allowed us to rebuild trust, restore regular channels of communication, and refocus co-operation as pluralistic democracies on shared responsibilities and interests.

As one of the world's fastest-growing economies, India is a critical component of Canada's trade diversification efforts. To this end, Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Modi have also agreed to start negotiations on an ambitious Canada-India comprehensive economic partnership agreement. We have concluded the first round of negotiations and are preparing for the next one. This reflects India's growing importance as a strategic and trade partner, as we are now ready to advance bilateral co-operation on a new Canada-India road map.

Beyond India, in South Asia, we are also actively deepening our engagement with Bangladesh and Pakistan. They're both poised to play an increasingly important part in our future and in the region's future, given their large populations and growing economies. We very much welcome Pakistan's recent role in helping mediate the recent ceasefire in the Middle East.

I have a couple of words about China, and then I'll wrap up. China remains an important commercial market for Canada in the Indo-Pacific. The Prime Minister's visit in January deepened high-level contact and improved predictability for both Canada and China through a newly refocused strategic partnership that emphasizes pragmatic and constructive co-operation in a few areas, such as energy, food security, trade and people-to-people ties. This recalibration of the relationship reflects the government's commitment to engaging with Beijing where it advances our interests, while remaining clear-eyed about areas of disagreement and concern and putting appropriate guardrails in place to protect our economic and national security.

In conclusion, my main message is that Canada's Indo-Pacific strategy is delivering real results for Canadians. It strengthens the country's economic resilience, fosters trade diversification, strengthens partnerships and positions Canada as a trusted partner.

Thanks for your attention. We look forward to answering any questions you have.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you very much for your remarks.

I now open the floor for questions, beginning with MP Michael Chong.

You have six minutes.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills North, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you to our witnesses for appearing today.

You mentioned an update to the Indo-Pacific strategy. Does this update include a new document, or are you not coming forward with a new Indo-Pacific document? The original one was introduced some time ago.

[Weldon Epp]

Mr. Chair, as members of this committee are well aware, the minister committed to updating the Indo-Pacific strategy when she met with the committee last fall. Since then, a lot of work has been under way. To directly answer your question, we've provided advice to the minister, so I won't speak about the details of it because it's still in that context, but there are two things I'd like to emphasize.

One is the intention of the original document. If you look at the strategy, including funding—it's more than just a document, as committee members know well—it was done in a way that we would make course corrections and update it as we go. It's my full expectation that the update is as much in the action set as it is in new documents.

With that said, the minister has been very busy consulting across the country—she was Vancouver last week with her colleagues in the region—with a range of stakeholders. I know this committee can expect to hear more about the format and the form of the update to come.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills North, ON]

We will be getting an updated document at some point. Is that fair to say?

[Weldon Epp]

I won't presume the format of an update and whether it will be a document, a speech or some other form. I'll leave that to the minister.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills North, ON]

Thank you for that clarification.

My next question concerns Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific strategy. It makes reference to Taiwan more than half a dozen times, and a couple of those times, at the very least, it references strengthening economic ties with Taiwan. Reports indicate that the Canada-Taiwan bilateral trade co-operation framework agreement has been fully negotiated and initialled, but it's awaiting signature.

Can you tell us when the treaty will be signed and tabled in the House of Commons?

[Weldon Epp]

That's an excellent question. I will take the opportunity to clarify a couple of pieces.

The arrangement, as negotiated, we don't expect it to be tabled as it's not a treaty. It's not an FTA in the traditional state-to-state sense. The actual implementation of it will follow signature. What I will say is that since the Indo-Pacific strategy was launched, it is correct that we have strengthened in a number of ways, including economically, our engagement with Taiwan. That includes getting a FIPA, a foreign investment protection arrangement, across the finish line.

The arrangement the member refers to is an important opportunity for us to increase access for certain aspects of our economy. It is with the government. The government is considering the timing and the nature of moving forward on it.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills North, ON]

I see. I stand corrected. It is an arrangement, not an agreement. I see that here. Thank you for clarifying that for the committee.

When can we expect this to move forward? Our understanding is that it's being held up at the senior levels of the government.

[Weldon Epp]

I'm not going to presume to predict that. There's a range of activities under way. I've never seen our trade negotiators as busy as they are now. There's also some due diligence to work on in terms of our stakeholders.

I fully expect that there will be decisions taken before too long on moving forward.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills North, ON]

We encourage the government to move on this expeditiously. We're very supportive of the arrangement. We think it will strengthen two-way trade between Canada and Taiwan, which is one of the intentions of the purposes and priorities in the Indo-Pacific strategy, so we encourage the government to do that.

I have a question concerning the Prime Minister's clear statement at the ASEAN summit last year that Canada is an energy superpower, that we have the third-largest reserves of oil and that we are the fourth-largest natural gas producer in the world. Minister Anand indicated that this would be incorporated into the Indo-Pacific strategy.

When will we hear further details about how that will be prioritized as part of the strategy by the department?

[Weldon Epp]

Again, without prejudging any decision about the format of an update and whether you will get details in a speech or a document, what I can tell you is that the importance of the energy sector is one of a number of areas that the current government updated its approach to in the region in the last year.

I would mention that a couple of others include much more focus on defence industry sector partnerships. In energy, in particular, the nuclear sector has come into much more relief as a priority. You will see that already reflected in the results of the visit to India and in discussions on the ground with partners like the Philippines and Indonesia. There's a lot of work in that sector, whether it's in nuclear or LNG.

The agenda is very much reflected in the bilateral commitments and outcomes that have come in since the government's involvement.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills North, ON]

I'll note that there's somewhat of an urgency about this, because while we've been largely insulated in North America and, to a lesser extent, Europe against the consequences of the war with Iran, it's Asia that has been really stressed when it comes to access to oil and gas. This dovetails nicely with the Prime Minister's commitment to expedite oil and gas exports to the region.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you very much.

Next, we'll go to Anita Vandenbeld.

You have six minutes.

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to the officials for being here.

When the Prime Minister gave his speech in Davos, he talked about finding, depending on what the issue is, those economic and security partners. We know that a lot of those middle powers and partners are in the Asia-Pacific region. We also know that democratic countries where there is a robust civic space, the rule of law and human rights make better partners, both for economics and for security. I note that the NATO Parliamentary Assembly has tied open democracies to security, and that democratic resilience is a security issue.

I wonder if I could first go to the CAF and DND officials to talk about whether, in our Indo-Pacific strategy, we are looking at that link between open societies and security. I'd then like to hear from the GAC officials.

[Inderjit Nijjar, Deputy Director General, International Security Policy, Department of National Defence]

Thank you very much for the question.

On the defence side, it is very much part and parcel in support of the overall objectives of the Indo-Pacific strategy writ large. We see it as an extension and an enabler.

To your question about enhancing peace, resiliency and security in the region, one of the areas of capacity building that I would point to, and a pillar of the IPS, is enhancing military training partnership efforts, especially in the area of women, peace and security. For instance, since 2023, we've trained nearly 1,000 personnel from key partners such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia, including in the area of WPS. I emphasize it only because this type of work is so important in enhancing gender integration and perspectives into military operations.

I'll turn it over to my GAC colleagues.

[Weldon Epp]

The premise of the question is exactly correct in that, as the Prime Minister has discussed and as our ministers are implementing, we are able to move faster in achieving Canadian interests with reliable partners. One definition of a reliable partner is, indeed, one with democratic, transparent polities so that we know what we're working with.

It speaks to our confidence in moving forward, for example, with a status of visiting forces agreement with the Philippines, and it speaks to our confidence in moving forward with intelligence-sharing agreements with Japan and Korea, to give just a couple of illustrations.

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Can we go to the GAC officials?

[Weldon Epp]

I should have clarified that that was on behalf of GAC.

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Could you elaborate a bit on how, in our diplomacy, we are engaging on things like human rights, women, peace and security? Perhaps you could give us some examples.

[Weldon Epp]

It's an excellent question. I would complement the comments from my colleague from DND by pointing out that one of the priority areas for ASEAN, as a community and in working with Canada, is to be quite concrete around issues of inclusion and rights. One of the areas they've prioritized for the last several years, which we continue to work on very closely with them, is the area of women, peace and security. That is very concretely related to their concerns about inclusion and better outcomes in the training of the armed forces for a variety of things they would do.

I would say separately that we are very much committed to working with partners that share our values to address some of the more egregious and concerning human rights problems in the region. Some of them, the most acute, come to us through the civil war in Myanmar. We have been working with humanitarian funding, but also with tools to support NGOs that are strengthening civil society and strengthening their capacity to report, document and work towards justice and a conclusion to the civil war in Myanmar. None of that goes very easily, and it requires close partnerships with countries on the ground that know the region and know the relationships much better, so we have very active discussions with the broader ASEAN community.

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

As we're seeing more geopolitical competition and authoritarian countries sharing their strategies with other countries, why is it important that we engage with countries that may be more likely to fall into that democratic backsliding? Why is it important that we have that economic and diplomatic engagement with those countries?

[Weldon Epp]

I would speak to one particular example close to my heart. I think Canada has had a very important, long-standing, meaningful relationship with the people and the Government of Mongolia. That country came out of the Cold War as a kind of hard authoritarian state, evolving into a very vibrant democracy but one in a small country with some economic constraints—not least of which is being surrounded by two countries with a very different view of politics and of accountability to their people. Over the years, Canada has been able to work very closely with a partner like Mongolia.

I would say that the example Mongolia provides, the evolution towards democracy Taiwan provides and the examples places like the Philippines provide I think give lie to the fairly facile thesis that economic development in Asia can only happen in the context of authoritarian hard-state polities. That's just not the case. We've seen incredible growth stories across the region from very diverse governments. We engage with all of them, but we very much engage to reinforce those that are accountable to their own people. That makes them much easier for us to work with in a broad range of interests.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you very much.

Next, we go to MP Brunelle-Duceppe.

You have the floor for six minutes.