Thank you very much.
First of all, in respect to something that was raised by Mr. Baldinelli in his intervention, I just want to note that the minister was already scheduled to be here, at this meeting, when it was originally scheduled for 3:30 p.m., as Mr. Baldinelli and his party know. The finance committee took precedence because of the important work that's being done at the finance committee, thus shifting today's meeting to 11:00 a.m. from the previously scheduled 3:30. That is the only reason Minister Ng is not here right now, and all parties, including the Conservative Party of Canada, agreed to that arrangement.
For my second point I'm going to direct a question to Mr. Christie.
You were asked, sir, in some questioning—I think it was by Mr. Martel—about the U.S.-led initiation of discussions about Indo-Pacific strategy and Canada's not being present. I think you accurately outlined some of the ways in which Canada is already present in the Indo-Pacific, and I'm just going to reiterate some of this as a reminder to all committee members.
First of all, we have a Korean free trade agreement. We are a part of the CPTPP, and indeed, that's something the United States actually stepped out of. We are pursuing ASEAN, as you noted, and Indonesia, and we have an early harvest agreement with India.
Going back to the issue with the CPTPP, I'll actually put to you, Mr. Christie, a quote from Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand. She said that if the U.S. wants more engagement in the Indo-Pacific, then the CPTPP is the table to sit at.
Given that Canada is already at that table, Mr. Christie, can you comment on Canada's state of engagement in the Indo-Pacific, and how that compares to engagement by the Americans?