Close X
Sunday, November 24, 2024
ADVT 
National

Canada's promised Indo-Pacific trade representative to be based in Jakarta: Mary Ng

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 05 Sep, 2023 10:25 AM
  • Canada's promised Indo-Pacific trade representative to be based in Jakarta: Mary Ng

Canada will open an export development office in Jakarta and has named an Indo-Pacific trade representative to help Canadian businesses enter new markets in the region, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday while in Indonesia.

"It's really important for Canadian companies and exporters to grow in this region because when they do, that means good jobs back at home," Trade Minister Mary Ng told reporters in Jakarta.

That is where the new trade representative, Paul Thoppil, will be based, Ng said.

Trudeau arrived in Indonesia earlier Tuesday with a commitment to keep growing his relationship with the southeast Asian country. 

One of his first events was an official visit with President Joko Widodo at his palace.

The two leaders spent their meeting discussing their growing ties, which Canada views as necessary in order to increase its diplomatic and trade presence in the Indo-Pacific region. A trade representative was promised in the Indo-Pacific strategy the Liberal government released last November.

Trudeau, whose eldest son, Xavier, 15, joined him on the trip, announced there will be five coming trade missions to the Indo-Pacific including Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam. 

He also put money on the table: $10 million over five years to help prevent future biological threats like another pandemic, and $13 million toward sexual and reproductive health projects in Indonesia. 

Canada is also loaning Indonesia over $100 million to build green infrastructure for clean water and solar power. 

"The warm welcome and constructive conversations we are having here in Indonesia are a testament to Canada's strong friendships and growing relationship with the Indo-Pacific region," Trudeau said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Together, we're creating good jobs, protecting peace and security, and forging a better future for people on both sides of the Pacific."

But the relationship with Indonesia wasn't always warm, as countries in the region often viewed Canada's presence too episodic. 

"Canada is investing extraordinary resources, people, time, money to build our presence in the region," Ian McKay, Canada's special envoy for the Indo-Pacific, said Tuesday in Jakarta.

"That is exactly what leaders like President Widodo want, and that is represented by the warm relationship he's developed with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau," said McKay, who is also Canada's ambassador to Japan.

The leaders relationship was highlighted during Trudeau's official visit to the Merdeka Palace. 

He gifted Widodo with a Team Canada Basketball jersey with his nickname, Jokowi, on it, and the number seven, which signifies Widodo being the seventh president of Indonesia. 

Days earlier, Team Canada played in Jakarta, where the men's basketball team advanced to the Olympics after beating Spain. 

Trudeau thanked Widodo for the warmth the team received, saying it's a wonderful example of the two countries' deepened relationship.

"It's a normal thing to do to search out better and bigger markets," McKay said, noting the Indo-Pacific strategy is Canada's biggest foreign policy shift in decades. 

Indonesia is Southeast Asia's largest economy and a G20 member with significant potential for economic growth. 

In 2022, Indonesia was Canada's 19th-largest trading partner worldwide and third-largest among southeast Asian countries, with two-way merchandise trade totalling $6.24 billion.

On Wednesday, Trudeau will deliver remarks at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as the 10-nation bloc prepares to make Canada its latest strategic partner, symbolizing the trade progress Canada has made with ASEAN. 

Merchandise trade with the countries in the bloc grew by nearly 29 per cent last year, with agribusiness being one of the largest economic sectors.

Trudeau is also expected to hold talks at the summit with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar bin Ibrahim, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. 

MORE National ARTICLES

RCMP say six people killed in small plane crash west of Calgary

RCMP say six people killed in small plane crash west of Calgary
The identity of the victims have not been released, and the cause of the crash isn't yet known. RCMP Staff Sgt. Ryan Singleton told reporters at a news conference in Canmore, Alta., that all of the people on board the plane were on their way to a church function.

RCMP say six people killed in small plane crash west of Calgary

Winds play key role as wildfire continues to threaten Osoyoos, B.C.

Winds play key role as wildfire continues to threaten Osoyoos, B.C.
Winds will likely be a major factor in the battle to save the southern British Columbia town of Osoyoos from a raging wildfire, but the latest forecast offers some hope. Environment Canada is calling for northwest winds through the day before gusts of 20 kilometres per hour ease late in the day.

Winds play key role as wildfire continues to threaten Osoyoos, B.C.

Breakthrough in B.C. port dispute as new tentative deal is reached

Breakthrough in B.C. port dispute as new tentative deal is reached
A late-night breakthrough could herald an end to British Columbia's long-running port dispute, with the longshore workers' union and the employers' association announcing a new tentative agreement. Details of the deal haven't been released, but both sides say in a joint statement issued Sunday night that they are recommending their members to ratify it.

Breakthrough in B.C. port dispute as new tentative deal is reached

Surrey RCMP looking for witnesses to alleged hit-and-run that sends one to hospital

Surrey RCMP looking for witnesses to alleged hit-and-run that sends one to hospital
RCMP were called to 128 Street north of 80 Avenue in the Newton area of Surrey shortly after 12:30 a.m. Saturday for reports of a hit-and-run collision involving a pedestrian. Police say a vehicle struck a man in the roadway, and took off.

Surrey RCMP looking for witnesses to alleged hit-and-run that sends one to hospital

Body found in Oak Bay identified

Body found in Oak Bay identified
Police in Saanich say they have identified a man found dead under suspicious circumstances in Oak Bay as Steven Middleton. They say the 33-year-old's body was found on Wednesday in the 200-block of Beach Drive and the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit has taken over the investigation.

Body found in Oak Bay identified

Robbery at a New Westminster pharmacy

Robbery at a New Westminster pharmacy
At around 2:30pm on Thursday, New Westminster Police were called to a pharmacy on 12th Street after an employee described two suspects armed with a firearm robbed the business of money and prescription medicine.  

Robbery at a New Westminster pharmacy