In the News

Turmoil in the Middle East has upended the world’s helium supplies, Canada has the resources to help

The Canadian Press (via The Globe and Mail), August 2, 2026

Featuring: Karen Hui, Project Co-ordinator, Indo-Pacific Critical Minerals Hub, APF Canada

Excerpt: Helium has a wide array of uses, and in almost all cases there is nothing that can act as a substitute. The inert element cools MRI machines, pressurizes rocket components and helps detect leaks in nuclear plants. It’s also a vital input in the manufacturing of advanced computer chips, representing an estimated 10 to 15 per cent of global helium demand as the artificial intelligence sector booms.

“And that share is rising pretty fast,” said Karen Hui, project co-ordinator with the Asia Pacific Foundation’s Canada-Indo-Pacific Critical Minerals Hub. Big Asian players in the chip manufacturing space, like Taiwan and South Korea, are hugely dependent on Qatari helium, and tend not to keep much in the way of backup supplies, she said.

And then there’s the Strait of Hormuz to contend with. Since the war began, few ships have been able to exit the narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf with the open sea.

“It’s very likely that Qatar won’t fully restart until they trust the strait is genuinely safe, and we are not seeing that right now,” Hui said.

Canada and Vietnam jointly focus on economic resilience and deepen cooperation in AI and energy.

Singa Tao Daily, July 29, 2026

Featuring: Economic Resilience and CPTPP-EU Linkages Vietnam-Canada Forum 2026

Excerpt: Not only did Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney exchange views by phone last week, but Conservative Party Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Gateway Economic Cooperation Group and Member of Parliament Chak Au also recently visited Vietnam to participate in an economic and trade forum, further promoting Canada-Vietnam relations.

During his visit to Vietnam, Au Chak Kwong attended the EU-CPTPP Forum and the Third Senior Officials Meeting of the CPTPP.

Au Chak-kwong told Sing Tao Daily that his biggest takeaway from the trip was that countries are actively seeking investment, supply chain development, and strategic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

"Non-tariff barriers such as supply chain security, regulatory coordination, product standards, certification systems, and customs procedures are the issues that businesses are most concerned about right now, and they are also the key factors affecting whether free trade agreements can truly play their role."

Lack of global response will hinder any Canadian retaliation to Trump’s tariffs, says former senior Liberal adviser

The Hill Times, July 28, 2026

Featuring: Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla, APF Canada

Excerpt: Nadjibulla says there are several reasons why co-ordination has proven to be difficult, remarking that countries have a varying degree of exposure to the U.S., and face different tariff rates and exclusions

“That makes it harder to identify a single measure around which a coalition could form. It also allows the United States to conclude agreements with some countries while concentrating pressure on others...The implicit possibility that disputes in one area could affect American co-operation in another gives Washington additional leverage."

Nadjibulla said collective action could still grow if countries decide that the agreements they have struck only give them temporary protection.

“It is too soon to conclude that Carney’s middle-power agenda is not working. The difficulty of generating a collective response to date demonstrates why building durable coalitions, shared economic instruments, and greater strategic capacity will be a long-term project rather than an automatic reaction to the latest American measure."

India ‘Cockroach’ protests: What’s behind the youth-led movement?

Global News, July 21, 2026

Featuring: Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla, APF Canada

Excerpt: Nadjibulla explains to Global News that hopeful Indian students spend "years trying to prepare for medical school exams [and] families go into debt" to give students the chance to sit for the test, whilst there continues to be "few opportunities" for medical education in India.

According to her, the medical exam cheating scandal has inflamed growing youth frustration with corruption in the government and has led to protestors calling for the resignation of India's Education minister and compensation for students and families severely impacted by the scandal.

Nadjibulla adds that "this is one of the largest [Indian] anti-government protests we have seen in years."

Experts discuss advancing CPTPP

Vietnam Investment Review, July 21, 2026

Featuring: Economic Resilience and CPTPP-EU Linkages Vietnam-Canada Forum 2026

Excerpt: The high-level dialogue examines how closer cooperation between the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the European Union (EU) can strengthen economic resilience, reinforce rules-based trade, and unlock new opportunities for businesses.

Barrett Bingley, Asia Regional Director of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, said that the trade and investment flows of tomorrow will not be defined by the largest economies alone.

“It will be shaped by countries willing to work together to strengthen trust, build resilient supply chains, and uphold a rules-based trading system. By fostering dialogue across governments, business, and academia, today's forum demonstrates the growing leadership of Canada and Vietnam in advancing that vision while creating practical pathways for closer cooperation between the CPTPP and the European Union,” Bingley said.

Vietnam, Canada highlight deeper CPTPP-EU cooperation

VnEconomy, July 20, 2026

Featuring: Economic Resilience and CPTPP-EU Linkages Vietnam-Canada Forum 2026

Excerpt: The Economic Resilience and CPTPP-EU Linkages Vietnam-Canada Forum 2026 was jointly organized by the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada), and the Embassy of Canada in Vietnam on July 20 in Ho Chi Minh City, on the sidelines of the Third CPTPP Senior Officials' Meeting of 2026.

Speaking during the forum, Mr. Barrett Bingley of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada said the future of global trade and investment would not be determined solely by the world's largest economies, but increasingly by countries prepared to work together to strengthen trust, reinforce resilient supply chains and uphold a rules-based international trading system.

He said the dialogue demonstrated the growing leadership of Canada and Vietnam in advancing that vision by bringing together governments, businesses and academic institutions to develop practical pathways for closer cooperation between CPTPP economies and the European Union.

Senior officials’ meeting highlights economic resilience, stronger CPTPP–EU linkages

Vietnam+, July 20, 2026

Featuring: Economic Resilience and CPTPP-EU Linkages Vietnam-Canada Forum 2026

Excerpt: Barrett Bingley, Asia Regional Director for the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, said that by promoting dialogue among governments, businesses and academia, the forum underscores the growing leadership role of Canada and Vietnam in advancing a practical roadmap for closer cooperation between the CPTPP and the EU.

Discussions also highlighted Vietnam's unique position as one of the few economies that is both a member of the CPTPP and a partner in the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), placing the Southeast Asian country at the intersection of two of the world's most ambitious trade frameworks.

Enhancing economic resilience and CPTPP-EU linkages.

Vietnam.VN, July 20, 2026

Featuring: Economic Resilience and CPTPP-EU Linkages Vietnam-Canada Forum 2026

Excerpt: On the afternoon of July 20th, in Ho Chi Minh City, the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada), in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Canadian Embassy in Vietnam, organized the Canada-Vietnam Forum 2026: Economic Resilience and CPTPP-EU Linkages.

Barrett Bingley of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada pointed out that future trade and investment flows will not only be shaped by the largest economies, but are expected to come from countries willing to cooperate in building sustainable supply chains and maintaining rules-based trading systems. Simultaneously, by fostering dialogue between governments, businesses, and academia, the Canada-Vietnam Forum 2026 affirms the increasing leadership roles of Canada and Vietnam in realizing the vision of creating a practical roadmap for closer cooperation between the CPTPP and the EU.

Philippines’ plan to fortify coastal defences: deterrence or target?

South China Morning Post, July 17, 2026

Featuring: Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla, APF Canada

Excerpt: Vina Nadjibulla, vice-president of research and strategy at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, said BrahMos was more relevant to deterring a high-end military escalation than managing day-to-day incidents at sea.

She said the system had to sit within a broader architecture that included coastguard capacity, maritime surveillance, legal and diplomatic pressure, alliance support, resilient resupply and credible crisis-management channels.

For Nadjibulla, the goal is not simply to place missiles closer to the front line but to create uncertainty for any adversary.

“If an adversary cannot be sure where the launchers are, whether they can be destroyed quickly, or what other assets are feeding them targeting data, then deterrence becomes more credible,” she said.

“The Philippines is still building that ecosystem. The BrahMos deployment is important, but its real strategic value will depend on whether Manila can connect missiles, sensors, logistics, command-and-control and partner support into a resilient archipelagic defence network.”

As Chinese economy slows, experts say there will be ‘problems for Beijing’

Al Jazeera, July 17, 2026

Featuring: Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla, APF Canada

Excerpt: China’s economy slowed sharply in the quarter ending June, revealing vulnerabilities in the country’s growth model, which is predominantly propelled by exports with little appetite for domestic consumption, experts say.

Gross domestic product (GDP) for the second quarter clocked in at 4.3 percent, the country’s slowest rate of expansion in more than three years, and lower than the 5 percent growth clocked in the previous quarter, despite a surge in exports driven by a boom in artificial intelligence and strong demand for Chinese electric vehicles.

“These numbers reveal the story we’ve known all along, that there are essentially two stories here – there are areas of exports that are booming, but domestic consumption remains sluggish,” said Nadjibulla.

June exports jumped 27 percent from a year earlier, even better than May’s increase of 19.4 percent, helping the world’s second-largest economy record a trade surplus of $125.6bn in June, up from $105.4bn the previous month.

While that has helped propel the economy, it will “put pressure on China’s trading partners,” said Nadjibulla. “Countries are already asking China to correct its trade imbalances and address their concerns.”

China-U.S. Global Reputation Amidst New Survey

OMNI News, July 16, 2026

Featuring: Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla, APF Canada

Excerpt: Polling from the Pew Research Center shows that views of China have improved over the last few years while opinions of the U.S. have continued to sour. The findings indicate that China is now seen more positively than the U.S. in most of the 36 countries surveyed, an outcome closely tied to the leadership performance of U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. While many still exhibit a lack of confidence in Xi, more respondents overall now say they have more confidence in Xi than in Trump.

"That's again a testament to the fact that the policies that President Trump has been implementing over the last two years," Nadjibulla told OMNI Evening News.

She adds that Trump's policies "have been extremely damaging to American reputation, to the trust of American allies like Canada used to have in U.S. leadership."

Evaluating the outcomes of Carney's Türkiye and Saudi Arabia visit

Global News, July 12, 2026

Featuring: Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla, APF Canada

Excerpt: Vina Nadjibulla tells Global News that the NATO Summit was a milestone event for Canada's new defence posture. “Mark Carney arrived in Türkiye having overseen a generational shift in Canada's defence policies and investment."

One of the PM's key objectives of the trip was to position Canada "as a critical member of the [NATO] alliance at a time when the U.S. has been seen as less reliable and the alliance itself [has been] under pressure."

She also discussed the creation of the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB), led by Canada and backed by nine other countries, to rearm the West against Russian aggression. "We'll see whether it gains quite a bit more momentum to really be successful."

Could Canada use Chinese electric vehicle firms to reboot its auto manufacturing?

South China Morning Post, July 7, 2026

Featuring: Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla, APF Canada

Excerpt: “The issue is not only whether working with Chinese carmakers can preserve employment and provide Canadians with more affordable, technologically advanced vehicles,” said Vina Nadjibulla, vice-president for research and strategy at the Asia-Pacific Foundation Canada in an analysis published on the organisation’s website in June 17.

“It is whether Chinese participation in Canadian production would strengthen Canada’s ability to design and produce the technologies at the heart of the next automotive economy, or leave the country assembling vehicles whose most valuable systems, intellectual property and supply chains remain controlled elsewhere.”

Real work 'begins now,' says TKMS CEO after being named preferred sub bidder

The Canadian Press (via BNN Bloomberg), July 7, 2026

Featuring: Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla, APF Canada

Excerpt: In a statement to Korean media, Hanwha Oceans said it was “unable to overcome the wall of the NATO alliance.”

Vina Nadjibulla, vice-president of research and strategy at the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada, said that is something the South Korean company has been trying to do for several years. But she said the campaign Hanwha and the South Korean government launched through the bid process resonated outside Canada, too.

“It has introduced Hanwha as well as South Korea as a major defence and strategic partner for Canada. A lot more Canadians now know about South Korea,” she said.

Nadjibulla said Canada should build on the momentum of this process, noting South Korea has a strong defence industry.

“I see this as an opportunity to continue to deepen the partnership, including in the defence sector,” she said.

Trump moves NATO’s goalposts — again

Politico, July 7, 2026

Featuring: Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla, APF Canada

Excerpt: Hanwha sought to leverage pain points in Canada’s trade war with the Trump administration to sweeten its submarine bid. The Seoul-based company signed deals with Algoma Steel and Canada’s Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association to create and protect Canadian jobs in sectors hard hit by the Trump administration’s tariffs.

This isn’t over: “There are still important opportunities in shipbuilding, sustainment, armoured vehicles, munitions, critical minerals, energy, clean technology, advanced manufacturing and defence innovation,” said Vina Nadjibulla, vice president of Asia Pacific Foundation, a think tank that focuses on Canada’s ties with Asia.

Hanwha Ocean shares sink 23% as it loses bid to build Canada’s next fleet of submarines

CNBC, July 6, 2026

Featuring: Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla, APF Canada

Excerpt: “Canada’s choice of TKMS should therefore not be read as a rejection of South Korea or the Indo-Pacific,” according to Vina Nadjibulla, vice-president of research & strategy at Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.

“It is better understood as a decision that reflects the enduring pull of NATO, Arctic capability, transatlantic defence-industrial integration and procurement risk,” Nadjibulla said.

Canada picks Germany’s TKMS over South Korea’s Hanwha to build submarine fleet

The Globe and Mail, July 6, 2026

Featuring: Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla, APF Canada

Excerpt: Vina Nadjibulla, vice-president of research and strategy at the Asia Pacific Foundation, said while the decision is a disappointment for South Korea, it doesn’t represent a spurning of the Indo-Pacific.

“Yes, in this instance, we went with NATO, but it doesn’t mean that everything that we’ve done to deepen defence and security partnerships with Japan, South Korea, Australia and the Philippines, as part of the Indo-Pacific Strategy, now can be just thrown away or is not working right,” she said.

Ms. Nadjibulla said Hanwha’s campaign succeeded in putting South Korea’s defence-industrial strength “on the Canadian radar in a way we had not seen before.” It “introduced many Canadians to South Korea not only as a trade, energy and technology partner, but as a serious defence-industrial player.”

She said the risk is Canada treats the South Korean engagement “as a procurement story that ended in Halifax.” It should instead treat it as the beginning of a broader defence-industrial partnership, Ms. Nadjibulla said. There are still important opportunities for Canada and Seoul to work together on shipbuilding, armoured vehicles, munitions, critical minerals, energy and clean technology, and more, she said.

Philippines President Marcos says ‘we share the same aspirations’ as Canada

Canadian Press (via BNN Bloomberg), July 3, 2026

Featuring: Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla, APF Canada

Excerpt: Asia Pacific Foundation vice-president Vina Nadjibulla wrote in an analysis that the Marcos visit demonstrates Canada’s four-year-old Indo-Pacific strategy is starting to yield results.

“Since the strategy was launched in 2022, a relationship once anchored primarily in deep people-to-people connections has broadened into a more consequential partnership spanning trade, investment, energy, maritime security, cybersecurity and defence,” Nadjibulla wrote this week in Policy Magazine.

She added that Carney and his predecessor Justin Trudeau had visited Asian leaders abroad, but having them come to Canada shows a real interest from those countries. She noted recent Canadian invitations to Japan and India’s leaders.

“Canada’s strategic relevance also depends on whether other leaders are prepared to invest political capital by coming here,” Nadjibulla wrote.

Politicos head to the Calgary Stampede

The Hill Times - Politics This Morning, July 3, 2026

Featuring: Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla, APF Canada

Excerpt: Vina Nadjibulla, the vice-president at Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, flagged in an interview with The Hill Times yesterday that the Philippines was the first country to declare an energy emergency after the Iran War. The country, she said, wants an energy partnership with Canada that spans both conventional energy— including LNG and LPG— and nuclear energy.

“Then they’re also interested in developing a partnership on critical minerals refining and processing… The Philippines really wants to have a long-term partnership that attracts Canadian technology, Canadian know-how, and Canadian mining expertise to help them develop their own capacity,” she said.

“That is absolutely notable, and also can be something that can happen with other countries from where we are getting a lot of immigrants, for instance, India,” Nadjibulla said.

US touts regional ‘balance’ in missile sale to Singapore. What does it mean?

South China Morning Post, July 3, 2026

Featuring: Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla, APF Canada

Excerpt: Washington wants capable partners that can operate alongside US forces and assume greater responsibility for regional security, according to Vina Nadjibulla, vice-president of research and strategy at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.

The US arms sales to its allies were aimed at pushing them to share the security burden while expanding Washington’s influence and the American defence sector, said Nadjibulla, who described the strategy as “distributed modernisation without a single dramatic escalatory leap”.

“Singapore largely purchases advanced systems with its own resources; the Philippines combines its own modernisation spending with substantial US help; and other Southeast Asian partners receive different mixes of maritime surveillance, training, exercises and defence equipment.”

In the News

APF Canada's media responses to the latest issues and events in Asia presented in chronological order