Prime Minister Mark Carney takes off Wednesday for summits in Asia and Ireland where he’ll look to advance trade and security ties.
His travels will take him to four countries and put him on the ground as high-stakes diplomacy takes place between the United States, China and Russia.
Vina Nadjibulla, co-founder of the Centre for Strategic Statecraft, said the trip is Canada’s chance to build on new agreements and partnerships it has signed with countries around the world.
“We’re now entering a much more consequential phase of actually implementing and delivering on all of these agreements, and sustaining the momentum,” she said.
“When Prime Minister Carney speaks about diversifying our relationships, it’s not just about Europe.”
The prime minister is set to depart for Dublin shortly after the Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa.
Carney will attend the European Political Community summit in Dublin, set for Nov. 12. For the second time, Canada will be the only non-European country represented at the table. Carney joined the group’s last meeting in Armenia in May.
The EPC summits have taken place roughly every six months since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The informal meetings are aimed at discussing strategic co-operation in politics, security and infrastructure.
Carney and European Union leaders have floated Canada becoming an “associate member” of the EU since the last summit — a title they have yet to define.
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After Dublin, Carney will cross both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to visit Manila, where the Philippines is hosting Canada as a guest at the Nov. 15–18 summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
ASEAN is a bloc of 11 countries that focuses on trade, regional peace and international norms. Canada is set to finalize negotiations on two trade deals while Carney is in Manila, one with the ASEAN bloc and another bilateral deal with the Philippines. He could even sign one of them while he’s there.
The prime minister has a meeting scheduled for Saturday with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and will address ASEAN leaders on Sunday.
Queen’s University professor Stéphanie Martel, who studies Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific, said the visit will help shape the Indo-Pacific strategy the Trudeau government released four years ago. That strategy focused on making Ottawa a relevant partner in the region after years of sporadic engagement.
“It’s becoming kind of a cliché to refer to Canada as this fairweather friend,” she said.
Martel said Carney has focused on trade and maritime defence but less on local concerns about climate change resilience and gender-inclusive militaries.
“There’s a lot of action in terms of specific trade deals and specific sectors. But the overall engagement and the ability of Canada to be seen as this serious, comprehensive contributor to the region is still up for debate,” she said.
In the Philippines, Carney will be joined by Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu and Gender Minister Rechie Valdez, who is of Filipino origin.
Carney will then visit the Francophonie summit in Cambodia set for Nov. 14 to 16. He’s expected to meet with leaders from Africa and other continents while in the capital Phnom Penh.
Canada is hosting the next Francophonie summit in 2028 in the Ottawa area. Carney is expected to use the gathering to advance Canada’s strategic autonomy and protect the role of French in the growing digital economy.
Francophonie members will elect their next leader in Cambodia and Ottawa says it is staying neutral to avoid affecting the next summit.
On Sunday, the prime minister is set to address CEOs at the FrancoTech innovation event at the summit. On Monday, he is set to give plenary remarks.
Dominique Caouette, Indo-Pacific studies chair at the University of Montreal’s political science department, said the Francophonie summit is an opportunity for Canada and Quebec to advance economic interests.
“The Francophonie could also serve as a platform for Mr. Carney toward the middle powers. There are several that are part of the Francophonie. It’s another space where Canada could play an influential role,” Caouette said in a French-language interview.
The summit will feature both Carney and Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, who was elected on a sovereigntist mandate aimed at pushing back on Ottawa. Caouette said he doesn’t expect the two to clash.
“It’s not in the Canadian or Quebec tradition to air one’s dirty laundry in public,” he said.
Carney will be joined in Cambodia by Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and her parliamentary secretary Mona Fortier. Before his arrival, Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour will lead Canada’s delegation at the summit.
Carney’s last stop will be China’s tech hub of Shenzhen for the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit, set for Nov. 18 to 19. Leaders from across the Pacific Rim will gather in the city bordering Hong Kong to take stock of an increasingly disordered trading system.
Nadjibulla said the summit allows for bilateral and “minilateral” discussions that bring leaders together in small groups to advance common goals. She said the APEC meetings themselves have taken on less importance, thanks to the diverging interests of Russia, the U.S. and China.
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the summit.
The meeting has European leaders worried about a possible impact on Moscow’s war against Ukraine. Analysts are also watching for any updates on Trump’s war on Iran.
Carney’s visit will come just days after China extended a deal to provide market access to Canadian imports such as canola meal and lobster, in exchange for Canadian market access for Chinese steel and aluminum.
Xi and Carney are set to meet Tuesday and he will address business leaders the next day.
Nadjibulla said she’ll be watching for any economic announcements, such as a move to allow more Chinese vehicles into Canada or new Chinese investments in energy and technology.
“The warming, the recalibration of the relationship has been moving at a rapid pace,” Nadjibulla said, adding that any moves could affect trade talks with the U.S.
In China, Carney will be joined by his parliamentary secretary Kody Blois and Anand.
Carney is set to return to Ottawa on Nov. 19.
The federal Conservatives have criticized Carney’s overseas deals, arguing that the signed agreements have not yielded significant gains and are distracting the government’s attention from the affordability crisis.
The Liberals argue facetime between leaders is critical to diversifying trade and building more resilient supply chains and security partnerships.
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