Table of Contents Introduction Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy (CIPS) Domestic Politics and Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy Canada-China Relations Resource Constraints A Smart Approach to Promoting Human Rights in the Indo-Pacific Region Conclusion End Notes About the Author Canadian Global Affairs Institute Introduction With the December 3, 2022, release of Canada’s long-awaited Indo-Pacific Strategy (CIPS), we are beginning to see how it is being implemented and received in the region. We are also hearing from friends and allies what they think about the key pillars, priorities and proposed policies. In some cases, we hear nothing, which also reflects impressions of the policy. With more than 125 years of engagement in Asia,1 the strategy was developed recognizing that the core economic engine of global growth will be situated in the Indo-Pacific region.2 The CIPS3 has acknowledged that “Today, the Indo-Pacific makes up more than one-third of all global economic activity. Three of the world’s largest economies—the People’s Republic of China (China), India and Japan—are in this part of the world.”4 The transition away from the usage of Asia or Asia-Pacific is related to these terms being used when both Southeast Asia and South Asia were not significant economic engines nor were these well integrated into the regional economic architecture. Despite several external risks, including the escalation of the trade and technology war between the United States and China, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting geopolitical risks, the Southeast Asian economy continued to grow.5 In 2022, its economy expanded by 5.5 per cent.6
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