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Canada and Asia-Pacific: Common Interests, Mutual Dependence


Remarks for the Hon. David Kilgour, P.C., M.P.

Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) and Member of Parliament for Edmonton-Southeast

Canadian Institute of International Affairs

McGill Faculty Club, Montreal

September 25, 2002

Thank you for inviting me to be with you tonight.

Your President has asked me to speak tonight about Canada’s interests in Asia-Pacific. The topic is one I could go on about all night. Allow me to make some remarks about our relationship, then we can open the floor for a discussion about the region, and any other topics of interest.

What are our interests in Asia? Why is there so much focus on the region? Why do we have a Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific?

In short, our mutual interest is enormous and it is growing constantly.

The numbers are hard to ignore:

· If we shrink the earth's population down to a village of one hundred people but keep all existing human ratios the same, there would be 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 people from the Western Hemisphere (North and South America), and 8 Africans.

· In 1960, Asia’s share of the world’s gross national product was 4%. Today it’s over 30%!

The World Within Our Borders

When I speak about reaching out to Asia-Pacific, some ask how we as Canadians can relate to the region? Quite simply, we can talk to the world because we have the world within our borders. From Afghanistan to the South Pacific, Mongolia to Australia, each Asia-Pacific nation has a community in Canada. One in thirty Canadians is of Indian origin, for example. At almost 250,000 individuals, Canada has the largest Sri Lankan expatriate community in the world. There are now 1 million Canadians of Chinese origin.

It is quite appropriate that "the global village" metaphor should have been coined by a Canadian, Marshall McLuhan. I like to think that we are the Phoenicians of the 21st century: one in three jobs and about 45% of our economy already depend on exports. With more than one third of our urban population being the children of immigrants or immigrants themselves, and with French and English as our official languages, Canada is truly an international community.

Our country offers an alternative concept in North America to that of our closest neighbour. Our brand in the world today is diversity and inclusiveness. We are a non-colonizing power that believes in constructive multilateralism.

Asianification of Canada

Recently, I argued in a newspaper column that Canada has undergone "Asianification.’" This is a short-hand way of describing several emerging dynamics. First, Canada’s population is increasingly tied to Asia through immigration and education. Second, our economy, while closely integrated in North America, now increasingly looks west to Asia: every year since 1990, Canada’s trans-Pacific trade has surpassed trade across the Atlantic.

While the currency crisis of the late 1990s tarnished some of Asia’s allure, Canada’s relations with Asia are maturing. If anything, they are getting stronger in many areas.

That said, our relationship is in many areas not what it can and should be. A number of challenges remain:

First, we must continue to look beyond countries in isolation and focus on the region as a whole.

Malgré la diversité incroyable des pays de l’Asie-Pacifique, mes nombreuses visites m’ont enseigné que les questions et défis principaux sont transsectoriels :

· la saine gestion publique, la transparence accrue et le respect de la primauté du droit;

· un désir d’augmenter le flux des échanges et l’investissement étranger;

· la nécessité de promouvoir l’échange d’étudiants et d’autres changes individuels entre nos pays (comme le success atteint par les australiens présentement); et

· le défi d’assurer la sécurité régionale.

Few issues are unique to only one or two countries and we would be well-served to view them on an increasingly ‘macro’ level.

Branding ‘Asia-Pacific’ for Canadians

Despite our active involvement in the region and our significant people-to-people links, there remain significant problems regarding the ‘brand’ of Asia-Pacific in many Canadians’ eyes.

Southeast Asia, for example, is viewed by some as a breeding ground or haven for terrorists. Publicity since September 11th has certainly been less than favourable. Front page stories on terrorism on the cover of a popular weekly magazine exclaiming, “Indonesia: The Weakest Link”, aren’t exactly good for business.

Stories tying Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and others to major terrorist networks make for very bad PR. The reality is Southeast Asia is a region of relative economic stability and enormous potential. On the terrorism front, individually and as a region, virtually all Asian governments have taken strong strides to condemn the terrorist attacks and fight terrorism. Canadian businesspeople and Canadians generally need to know this.

Many Canadian investors burned by the “Asian Flu” continue to view Asia-Pacific as economically unstable. Perceptions of instability and market fluctuations have led to a reluctance to invest on the part of Canadian businesspeople. Again, the region’s potential far outweighs its risks - Canadians will need to return to viewing Asia-Pacific as an attractive destination for their investment dollars.

Some recent trade disputes with the U.S. indicate that diversification of our exports is a valuable goal. Undeniably, the U.S. represents our most important bilateral relationship. Our closeness does not, however, preclude us from focusing elsewhere as well. It’s commonly believed that about 85% of our exports go to the U.S. alone, although it is little known that this figure includes goods entering the U.S. en route for somewhere else (E.g. Singapore). The actual figure could be as low as 75%. Few people know that approximately 95% of our trade is done in U.S. dollars. The fact that our currency is so little traded is attributed by some to be a key reason for its volatility. Asia’s alternative currencies, vast market size, relative stability, and diversity of needs make it an ideal target for Canadian investment.

We’re working on changing these and many other perceptions that exist in the eyes of Canadians. As Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific), much of my time is dedicated to addressing some of very serious challenge of re-branding Canada in Asia-Pacific.

Creating ‘Brand Canada’

Comme mentionné précédemment, nos relations n’atteignent pas leur potentiel dans de nombreux secteurs. Selon des rapports produits récemment par des universitaires, comme Carin Holroyd de l’Université de Saskatchewan et Wendy Dobson de l’Université de Toronto, notre relation économique avec le Japon est « sous exploitée » de pas moins de 30 %.

The roots of our branding problem lie in the widespread perception of Canada as a travel destination as opposed to a business partner. Just last week on a flight between Victoria and Vancouver, I found myself sitting beside a young Japanese woman who had just visited Banff, Victoria and Vancouver. Asked about her impressions of Canada, she said politely, “beautiful scenery ... kind people.”

Internationally, many people see Canada as a vast unspoiled wilderness. That's great if you run an eco-tourism business in Northern Quebec, but it's not so good if you're trying to interest potential partners in supporting your high-tech start-up. The point, of course, is that Canada encompasses both realities.

We’ve recognized that we have an image problem. What do we do about it? What do we want to tell Asia-Pacific about Canada?

Open for business

First, we’re ‘open for business’ - and we’re an attractive, worthy partner.

We have enjoyed ten years of low inflation. We are the only G7 country with a balanced budget this year, our fifth in a row. We are still enjoying the longest period of uninterrupted growth in 30 years, and the economy seems to be actually strengthening despite all the background noise as we move into 2003.

Indeed, the IMF and OECD both predict that Canada will lead the G7 in growth this year and again next year. According to the OECD, Canada has the lowest regulatory barriers to entrepreneurship among OECD countries, with the exception of the U.K.

A major international study by KPMG has identified Canada as the most affordable nation in the industrialized world in which to do business. Released by KPMG in last January, the study looked at the cost of doing business in 86 cities in nine developed countries. It considered such factors as labour costs, taxes, transportation costs, energy costs and others.

Compared to all of the other G7 countries, as well as Austria and the Netherlands, Canada placed first in 7 out of 12 industry sectors, including such promising areas as electronics assembly, biomedical research and development, specialty chemicals, and advanced software.

Along with all our other advantages, we are the most affordable place to do business in the industrialized world. The KPMG study gives us a valuable tool for taking our message to foreign investors.

Business with whom?

So, we’re open for business. But business with whom? In what? Whom are we trying to attract?

We have to change the perception of Canada as just a source of raw lumber, metals or wheat. We have to show the countries of Asia-Pacific that while those sectors remain important to our economy, our information technology, aerospace, biotechnology and other knowledge-based industries are now equally representative of the Canadian present and future. They are thriving; the success stories are easy to find.

Nous pouvons également montrer au reste du monde que même dans les industries plus traditionnelles, l’innovation canadienne a contribué à transformer nos industries. En effet, les entreprises canadiennes demeurent des chefs de file mondiaux en raison de l’innovation constante. Par exemple, l’industrie minière canadienne est maintenant l’un des chefs de file mondiaux les plus dynamiques et techniquement avancés dans l’exploitation minière à distance et l’automatisation.

Trade and Human Development

Our desire to increase trade and our focus on investment relationships should not be misinterpreted as solely bottom-line focused.

On the contrary, our business relationships are helping us to tackle one of the most fundamental challenges facing all regions: good governance.

Every time we promote our technology and business interests, we build on an increasing impetus towards transparency, accountability, and democratic legitimacy. Fostering good-governance in Asia-Pacific will buttress any economic advances Canada makes, including growth at home. Human rights and good governance are good for business; there is no contradiction. Legitimate forms of dissent and demands for greater decision making power are still suppressed in parts of Asia. I feel Canadians have the responsibility to ensure that our trade needs are consistently tied to our human security agenda. It is my conviction that Canada cannot legitimately pursue its trade goals with Asia-Pacific without pursuing principles of good governance and universal human rights.

What about human rights?

Take the example of China. As many of you know, it formally joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in December of last year. Chinese accession to the WTO will protect and further Canada's substantial trade and investment interests in that country, and allow us to take advantage of increased market access.

But what about our human rights concerns? Is it hypocritical to condemn human right abuses on one hand and encourage trade on the other? In this situation, the answer is ‘no’.

In acceding to the WTO, China has accepted the principles and disciplines embodied in the WTO Agreements, such as transparency, due process, and the independence and impartiality of the judiciary. Although these obligations will apply only to trade-related laws and measures, they will represent a significant strengthening of the rule of law. Our closer relationship doesn’t preclude us from raising our concerns. On the contrary, we have more opportunities and contacts to whom we can make our case.

As an aside, I had the privilege of visiting China just over a month ago. The first thing that struck me was China’s size: the sheer enormity of the numbers is awe inspiring. From population to total GDP, trade performance to land mass, the chronicling of the poor and the newly rich, the cell phone subscribers and Internet users –– regardless of the measure, one thing remains clear: China’s potential as a market is enormous. And the country is full of surprises: who would have guessed that the number of cell phone users is increasing at a rate of 5,000,000 a month!

Of course, some see China as a pending disaster, pointing to a series of obstacles in need of pressing reform - growing income disparities, rising unemployment, and gaping holes in the regulatory regime, to name a few. Granted, the economy is in need of further reforms, but the potential of China remains unchanged.

Canada is committed to a fair, open global trading system reflecting the same principles that protect human rights and allow individuals to realize their potential, free from persecution or discrimination. We need to harness the potential of managed globalization to make it a force for inclusiveness and interdependence, not only of economies but of culture, concepts and human expectations.

Notre politique étrangère continuera de poursuivre ces objectifs: la promotion de la démocratie et de la saine gestion publique, des droits de la personne et de la primauté du droit, et de la prospérité par le développement durable.

Ces objectifs sont rapidement reconnus comme des « valeurs canadiennes ». Je tenterai assurément de les promouvoir comme telles pendant mes nombreux voyages à l’étranger. Au pays, chaque expérience positive qu’a un consommateur ou un investisseur asiatique avec un homme ou une femme d’affaires du Canada renforce « l’image de marque du Canada ».

Education

Successfully building ‘Brand Canada’ depends heavily on capitalizing on the expertise and natural advantages we already have. Education, therefore, is a natural focus.

Canada has some of the top post-secondary institutions in the world. We have a tradition of excellence and access to cutting edge technologies. We can offer a range of large schools as well as regional and smaller institutions that offer small class sizes and individualized teaching. Our schools are leading the way in education services and products such as private sector software products and ‘learnware’, e-learning courseware and distance learning products. And we have excellent opportunities for studies and research at the masters and doctoral levels. Taken together, Canada’s universities offer an enormous range of choices - large and small, denominational or secular, English, French and bilingual, in cities, small towns, or reaching out through the electronic highway.

I’ve often said that what the Swiss are to banking, Canadians can be to education, long distance learning and technology transfers. Again, it’s a matter of packaging. We’ve got to do an even better job of telling the world that Canada is the place to study!

There are now an estimated 130,000 international students enrolled in undergraduate programs in Canada’s universities, with many also in preparatory language training. Each of these students is creating a bond with Canada that will last a lifetime. These linkages are invaluable.

Security Challenges

Your President has also asked me to speak today about security in the region. Certainly, it is an ongoing concern. Asia-Pacific has a number of unresolved border disputes, human rights abuses, an increase in weapons acquisitions, ecological degradation, population growth, and narcotics trafficking.

Small arms are a particular concern: there are at least 600 million in circulation today. They have been the weapons of choice in 46 of 49 major conflicts since 1990. An estimated 500,000 people around the world are killed by them every year - more than 80% of whom are women and children. This is absolutely unacceptable!

Fortunately, many countries in Asia-Pacific are rightly adopting a regional approach to stopping the proliferation of these weapons. In June I co-chaired a conference in the Phillippines with precisely that goal. Canada will continue to advocate the strict control of legal flows of small and light weapons, the prevention of illicit trafficking of small arms, and the expunging and if possible destruction of surplus weapons left over in post-conflict zones. A key problem in the region, however, is the “gun culture”. As in most parts of the world, crime is glamourized. Easy access to small arms encourages violence as an option to settle differences. To make real progress on the issue, small arms must no longer be seen as tools for survival.

As we are reminded almost daily by the media, nuclear weapons still threaten us: the disposal of nuclear weapons in the former Soviet Union and nuclear proliferation threats elsewhere, notably Iraq, North Korea, India, Pakistan, and the Middle East, will continue to preoccupy the international community, and require concerted efforts to prevent new sources of potentially catastrophic conflict. The threat of criminal or terrorist organizations coming into possession of nuclear materials, either through sale or theft, is a growing concern that must be addressed more effectively.

Iraq

While we’re on the subject of security, let me say a word about Iraq. President Bush’s September 12th speech to the U.N. calling for decisive action to enforce Iraqi compliance with UN Security Council resolutions represented a welcome return to multilateralism on the issue - one Canada has long advocated.

Like the U.S., Canada wants the speediest possible return of United Nations weapons inspectors to Iraq, and Iraq's unconditional cooperation with them - that means unfettered access to any site, without conditions. This is the first step by which it can prove its compliance with UN resolutions. We’ve also been clear, however, that there need to be consequences for a failure to act. UN members are exerting diplomatic pressure, and we are hopeful that the Security Council will issue an unambiguous, very strong resolution. One would be foolish, however, to think that the threat of military action hasn’t helped shape Iraq’s response.

Iraq’s pledge to allow the unconditional return of weapons inspectors is encouraging. But we have long learned that what Iraq says does not always reconcile with what Iraq does.

As our Foreign Minister, Bill Graham, said in regards to Tony Blair’s ‘Iraq dossier’ released yesterday, “While the evidence is important - it demonstrates why we must be vigilant, why we must absolutely ensure that Saddam Hussein conforms to the mandate to admit free inspections - it doesn’t make a reason to attack Iraq today or tomorrow.”

I’m anxious to hear your thoughts on this issue. Do you think a Security Council resolution will be effective? Will arms inspectors ever have truly unconditional access? Should we be backing the U.S. if they pursue military action? At what point do we make that commitment? Does Canada’s voice matter on this issue? How successful have we been to date at communicating our position with the Canadian people?

In closing

The sheer volume of news, and of course, opinion, generated daily on these issues can be overwhelming. It is often a struggle just to keep up with what’s happening in Asia-Pacific’s 43 countries.

But as one of our national heroes, retired Canadian General, Romeo Dallaire, says, “It’s easy to clear out an Inbox. It’s a lot harder to take a step back - to think in the big picture and plan for the long term.”

I’m happy to be here tonight because I hope we’ll have a chance to do just that. Your meetings are renowned for the high caliber of your debates - hopefully tonight will be no exception.

L’une des plus importantes parties de mon travail, et souvent des plus difficiles, consiste à obtenir des opinions réfléchies à l’extérieur du ministère des Affaires étrangères et d’autres sources traditionnelles. N’hésitez pas à me faire part des vôtres.

Ce soir, j’ai expliqué certains éléments moteurs de notre démarche dans la région, souligné certains défis auxquels nous faisons face lorsque nous essayons de promouvoir la nouvelle image de marque de l’Asie Pacifique aux yeux des Canadiens, et inversement, et j’ai décrit de nombreuses préoccupations et possibilités devant lesquelles nous nous trouvons.

· Sommes nous sur la bonne voie?

· Les efforts sont ils faits où nous le devrions?

· Qu’est-ce qui nous échappe?

· How can we better market Canadian universities?

· Should Canada be looking at an ASEAN free trade region?

· What other international issues are on your minds?

Thank you again for your time. I look forward to a healthy discussion.


 
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