Canada and Southeast Asia: Diplomatic Choices Amidst Geopolitical Tension

Canada's national interests depend on preserving the rules-based international order. Southeast Asia represents a key fault-line in what could be a Cold War between the US and China, a theatre where the rules-based international order may be renewed, or disintegrate.
Countries in Southeast Asia wish to promote development through trade and investment with China, yet their relationships are shrouded by a fear of Chinese might. The cornerstone of stability and prosperity in the region is ASEAN—the Association of Southeast Asian Nations—comprising 10 countries with which Canada is a ‘Dialogue Partner’. Through ASEAN, Canada engages multilaterally not just with Southeast Asian countries, but also with China. However, ASEAN is not the typical international organization with which Canada is traditionally at home. Its members include countries with authoritarian tendencies, and some that are fiercely authoritarian. Those few ASEAN members that are democracies face an uncertain future.
Dr. Mark S. Williams is a Professor of Political Studies and Global Studies at VIU, and an Adjunct Instructor of Political Science at UBC. He is the editor of "The Politics of the Asia-Pacific: Triumphs, Challenges, and Threats" with the University of Toronto Press, and the author of "Indonesia, Islam, and the International Political Economy: Clash or Cooperation?" Mark is a member of the Canada Asia-Pacific Public Policy Project.
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