Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development

Comité permanent des affaires étrangères et du développement international

For immediate release

Ottawa, November 21, 2018 -

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development presented its report today to the House of Commons entitled Canada’s Engagement with East Asia.

The report highlights the growing importance of the region to Canada and Canadian foreign policy. With China at the forefront, the countries of East Asia have achieved remarkable economic gains in recent decades and are increasingly occupying a more central role in international affairs. The report underlines that, from the perspectives of trade, security, and diplomacy, Canada must engage with East Asian countries to achieve its foreign policy objectives.

While there are many areas where Canada’s common interests with countries in East Asia can lead to greater cooperation, the Committee recognizes there will remain topics on which we disagree. In particular, promoting human rights, democracy, gender equality and the rule of law will continue to be a challenge with some countries in the region but must, nonetheless, remain a pillar of Canada’s engagement strategy.

The report is the culmination of a study which included two fact-finding missions and five hearings in Ottawa. In November 2017, the Committee travelled to Beijing and Hong Kong, China, Hanoi, Vietnam and Jakarta, Indonesia. A second mission followed in May 2018, when the Committee visited Tokyo, Japan, Seoul, South Korea and Manila, the Philippines. A full list of the individuals and organizations with whom the Committee met during these trips is included in the report.

The Committee’s report makes nine recommendations to the Government of Canada, which are focused on improving Canada’s engagement with East Asia. Among other areas, these recommendations include Canada’s relationship with China, efforts to support North Korean denuclearization, and the need to strengthen Canada’s brand in the region.

The full text of the Committee’s report is available on its website.