This virtual panel, to be held via Zoom, will explore security challenges and great power competition in the Indo-Pacific with a focus on how other nations are positioning themselves in military, economic, and diplomatic terms. Through identifying the converging and diverging elements of strategic interest that are being demonstrated in action by our allies and adversaries alike, we can explore our own strategic interest and determine how we can best prepare for the possibility of enduring tensions in the region.
Canada’s challenge in this new security environment is complex given its limited capacity, a deep bilateral connection with the United States, growing economic engagement in East Asia, vested interest in trade diversification, as well as concerns for territorial waters and security in the Arctic.
Our failure on two consecutive occasions to be elected to the UN Security Council and the more recent signing of AUKUS have been wake-up calls: Canada’s presence at the negotiating tables of international security is no longer a given. To earn a seat at the table we need to start by articulating our strategic interests in the region relative to the risks and opportunities we perceive. Only then can we position ourselves with purpose.
