Good morning from Tokyo. It's about three in the morning here, so I apologize if I yawn.
First of all, let me just thank you for the invitation to come and share my views on this important committee. It's important for us to be thinking about COVID-19, what its repercussions for Canada are and how we need to move forward as a country.
I'd like to also preface my comments by saying that I'm looking at this particular issue from my specialty, which is international relations and security. I am based in East Asia. I'm based in Tokyo and most of my research and policy-related work is related to China, Japan and South Korea, so I'm using this vantage point to provide some insight into how I think the COVID-19 pandemic is going to affect Canada.
My comments really are what I view as critical for Canada in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I have three take-aways that I'd like to convey to you. Most importantly, the theme of my discussion is what I call a new realism in building resilience through partnerships. That is the take-home I would like you all to have, this idea of resilience through new partnerships.
Today's discussion will be broken down into three points. The first point is related to—