Dans l'actualité

Carney follows up speech in Davos with trip to India, Australia, Japan

Toronto City News , February 26, 2026

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

Excerpt: PM Mark Carney this morning for a 10-day visit to India, Australia, and Japan, a trip that will give Carney a chance to put into action his calls to action in Davos as he visits three “powerhouses of the region,” Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla said in an interview.

“The Indo-Pacific is where the centre of gravity for geopolitics and economic growth … is increasingly converging.” 

“In Asia, Canada is having a moment. Prime Minister Carney’s speech really was quite an important development in how Asia sees Canada."

Carney’s ‘bridge’ between the EU and the Pacific Rim trade deal likely to stop short of merging blocs, say observers

The Hill Times, February 25, 2026

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

Excerpt: The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada’s Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President, Research & Strategy, said that discussions about linking the CPTPP and the EU have been ongoing for more than two years, gaining momentum last November, which included a dialogue between the blocs on trade and investment. 

“The idea is that in the current environment of fragmentation of rules-based trade, and assault on the global trading order by President Trump’s tariffs, as well as China’s protectionism, that middle powers and other trading blocs need to work more closely together to create an alternative."

“...This is not just Prime Minister Carney’s initiative, but obviously [he] has taken an interest in it, and has elevated and given it political weight and momentum by raising it himself."

Opinion: How to leverage B.C.'s generational opportunity to expand trade and spur economic growth

Vancouver Sun, February 24, 2026

Featuring: APF Canada's Canada-in-Asia Conference 2026

Excerpt: Tamara Vrooman, President and CEO of the Vancouver International Airport (YVR), details her experience at CIAC2026 in a new op-ed published by the Vancouver Sun. 

After China, India is next on Canada’s foreign policy reset agenda

The Globe and Mail, February 24, 2026

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

Excerpt: “The decision to enhance security cooperation is a significant development,” said Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President, Research & Strategy at the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada.

“I wouldn’t say the Khalistan issue has been pushed to the backdrop; rather, it is being addressed through the appropriate security and law-enforcement channels so it does not dominate the entire relationship."

“The visit to India, Australia and Japan is an opportunity to take his Davos message of middle power diplomacy to the Indo-Pacific. Carney’s visit to India this week will consolidate, elevate and expand the relationship.”

'Very Significant': Expert Highlights Mark Carney's India Agenda Ahead Of Key Meet With Modi

The Times of India, February 23, 2026

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

Excerpt: Nadjibulla says PM Carney's visit to India next month will be a "very significant trip" that will aim a "consolidat[ing] the reset that the two prime ministers initiated last year on the margins of the G7... we will see most likely some MoU's and things around the defence sector" as a new area for Canada-India engagement. 

Nadjibulla said she was also expecting to see announcements around AI and technology security given the recent AI Impact Summit hosted recently in India. "most importantly this [trip] is about rebuilding trust... putting the relationship on a new footing... [and] sharing Canada's new foreign policy approach to partnerships and India is going to be a big part of that." 

Exclusive: Canada-India Partnership Set to Boost Trade and Diplomatic Ties During PM Carney Visit

WION News, February 24, 2026

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

Excerpt: Nadjibulla says an important aspect of PM Carney's upcoming trip to India is Ottawa's ability to "rebuild strategic trust" with the Indian government and "public trust" between the two nations. 

"Public opinion is not catching up with the political reset and the political vision the two governments have... that's why it is so important that [Canada's] prime minister visit and speak in India with officials and also publicly. I do believe that there is an enormous opportunity here in the relationship, and we have to be steadfast in addressing the challenges."

Carney to visit Mumbai, New Delhi but not Punjab in business-focused India trip

The Globe and Mail, February 23, 2026

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

Excerpt: The Prime Minister’s visit, announced Monday, begins Friday when his plane reaches India. His office said in a statement that he is heading to Mumbai, where he will meet with business leaders, and New Delhi, for a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, said she takes Mr. Carney’s itinerary as a sign that his foreign policy is “more focused on national interest and not limited to certain diaspora priorities.”

Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy needs an Indo-Pacific gear

The Hill Times, February 23, 2026

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

Excerpt: "Canada’s new Defence Industrial Strategy is more than a procurement update. In an era of great-power rivalry, economic coercion, and the weaponization of trade and global supply chains, the strategy correctly recognizes that national defence and economic security can no longer be treated as separate files.

"The strategy rightly commits Canada to new defence-industrial partnerships with the European Union and the United Kingdom. It also signals intent to collaborate more closely with Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea. That is a welcome start. Yet, the Indo-Pacific is larger and more economically dynamic than these four advanced economies."

Canada’s pragmatic turn towards China is not without strategic limits

East Asia Forum, February 21, 2026

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

Excerpt: "Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s January 2026 visit to China was significant not only in recalibrating the bilateral relationship but also in signalling a broader shift in Canadian foreign policy. The shift became clearer at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where Carney articulated Canada’s desire to build greater strategic autonomy, diversify partnerships and pursue a more pragmatic, interests-based and independent foreign policy.

This recalibration is necessary in an evolving world order defined less by rules and predictability and more by leverage and choice. But since the United States remains Canada’s most important economic and security partner, Ottawa faces a persistent dilemma in diversifying its economic relationships without jeopardising preferential access to the US market. With Washington increasingly willing to use tariffs and trade pressure as tools of coercion, Canada’s dilemma has become more acute."

Ahead of Mark Carney’s India Trip: Energy as the Anchor of the Bilateral Reset

Policy Magazine, February 18, 2026

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

Excerpt: "Canada is not positioned to displace Gulf suppliers or suddenly dominate India’s import mix. But it can credibly become part of India’s diversified supply portfolio — particularly for crude oil and uranium in the near term, and LNG and critical minerals over the medium term.

In an environment where supply security and political reliability are increasingly priced into energy decisions, Canada’s reputation as a stable, rules-based producer carries weight."

FinDev Canada pledges $30m for IIF to support low-carbon economic growth

The Jakarta Post, February 16, 2026

Featuring: APF Canada's Canada-in-Asia Conference 2026

Excerpt: Canada’s bilateral development finance institution, FinDev Canada, has committed to a US$30 million loan for Indonesia Infrastructure Finance (IIF), strengthening low-carbon economic growth in Indonesia through the financing of sustainable infrastructure projects. 

Announced during the annual Canada-in-Asia Conference (CIAC) organized by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada from Feb. 10 to 11 in Singapore, the loan marks FinDev Canada’s first-ever investment in Indonesia.

Jimmy Lai Sentenced to 20 Years: Does China not care about international pressure?

Radio Canada International, February 13, 2026

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

Excerpt: On Monday (February 9), a Hong Kong court sentenced Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily, to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and endangering national security, which is the longest sentence since the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law.

Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President, Research & Strategy at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, . . . [expressed] deep disappointment with the verdict.

"Jimmy Lai’s sentence underscores the extent to which Hong Kong’s judicial system has been fully subsumed into Beijing’s broader political and security framework," said Nadjibulla.

She believes that under the current circumstances, sustained public pressure on China is unlikely, on its own, to produce results. Beijing has shown that it is willing to absorb reputational costs, particularly when it frames these cases as matters of national security. However, this does not mean the outside world has no leverage. Calls for Mr. Lai’s release on humanitarian grounds remain the most credible and potentially effective avenue. 

‘Number one obstacle’: Canada wants to feed Asia but complex regulations slow market access

Antara News, February 25, 2026

Featuring: APF Canada's Canada-in-Asia Conference 2026

Excerpt: Canada believes it can help meet Asia’s growing food needs, but an industry leader says complex regulations are slowing market access, raising costs and creating uncertainty for companies.

APF Canada calls for new Canada-Asia partnerships in 2026 CIAC

Antara News, February 25, 2026

Featuring: APF Canada's Canada-in-Asia Conference 2026

Excerpt: President and CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, Jeff Nankivell, called for new Canada-Asia partnerships during a Singapore conference, citing the need for collaboration amid increasingly uncertain global conditions.

"We know what needs doing and the fact that you are in this room means that you are already doing it," Nankivell said in his speech at the 2026 Canada in Asia Conference (CIAC) on Tuesday.

He noted that the world is entering "uncharted territory," requiring countries to act collectively. Nankivell highlighted that in early February, Canada became the first country threatened with sweeping tariffs by the new Donald Trump administration.

Nankivell described the CIAC2026 forum as a "common table" to build new partnerships in the face of an uncertain future.

En Thaïlande, le conflit frontalier ravive le nationalisme et écarte les progressistes du pouvoir

Le Devoir, 11 fevrier 2026

Mettant en vedette : Alexandre Veilleux, L’auteur est gestionnaire principal de programme à la Fondation Asie Pacifique du Canada.

Extrait : Les électeurs thaïlandais étaient appelés, dimanche, à faire deux choix déterminants : élire le parti chargé de former le prochain gouvernement et décider de l’ouverture d’un processus de révision constitutionnelle. Après plusieurs sondages favorables au parti progressiste, le Parti du peuple, beaucoup prévoyaient un élan démocratique.

Mais la « vague progressiste » annoncée ne s’est pas matérialisée. Le parti conservateur pro‑royaliste Bhumjaithai, qui a axé sa campagne sur le patriotisme et la défense du territoire face au regain de tensions frontalières avec le Cambodge, est finalement sorti vainqueur. Cette victoire confirme la capacité des partis conservateurs à mobiliser l’électorat en période d’incertitude, en s’appuyant sur un discours nationaliste axé sur la sécurité.

Facing a mercurial Trump, countries scramble to forge new alliances

Al Jazeera, February 10, 2026

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

Excerpt: “Countries are trying to diversify economic and security partnerships,” said Vina Nadjibulla.

“Many US allies, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, won’t decouple from the US – the US is too important, especially for security – but they are all looking for a US-plus strategy to minimise risks."

Carney lunches with Luxembourg’s Frieden

The Hill Times, February 9, 2026

Featuring: APF Canada's Canada-in-Asia Conference 2026

Excerpt: Government officials, diplomats, lobby groups, academics, policy experts, and business leaders will gather for a three-day Canada-in-Asia conference taking place in Singapore starting today. 

International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu will speak briefly at the summit tomorrow, alongside his Singaporean counterpart Gan Siow Huang. 

Organized by the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada, the event will include panel talks on potential areas of collaboration, including critical minerals, education, energy and natural resources, finance, digital infrastructure and AI. 

Other attendees mentioned in the schedule include Canada’s High Commissioner to India Chris Cooter, the CEO of Trans Mountain Mark Maki, Ontario’s Trade Minister Victor Fedeli, the chief investment officer of FinDev Canada Paulo Martelli, the director of natural resources at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute Heather Exner-Pirot, the president and CEO of Universities Canada Gabriel Miller, among others. The agenda is detailed at this link. 

Canada’s diplomatic tightrope act in Asia

Canadian Affairs, February 9, 2026

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

Excerpt: "The expanding network reflects Ottawa’s effort to ensure its Indo-Pacific pivot is not defined solely by China — or even by its closest Northeast Asian allies — but by a wider web of security and economic relationships.

From Nadjibulla’s perspective, walking that diplomatic tightrope is demanding but doable.

“As long as … the government’s narrative is clear, nuanced and sophisticated, and clearly outlines what it is that we’re trying to do with China and what will remain off limits, I think that would be understood in the region.

“ But for that, we do need to communicate as clearly as possible, and to engage in a lot of diplomacy with these other partners.”

B.C. forestry looks to India, sees plenty of chal­lenges

Time Colonist, February 7, 2026

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

Excerpt: “We could be entering at the start of a period when the Indian middle class will continue to grow, and there’s an opportunity now to capitalize [on] that,” said Nadjibulla, adding that even a fraction of the market could be meaningful for B.C. producers.

“I think it is one of those growth markets that, while maybe far away and sometimes complicated, really needs to be explored now that we’re facing these pressures from the U.S.”

Engaging Canada and China

Canadian Global Affairs Institue - The Global Exchange Podcast, February 3, 2026

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

Excerpt: On the Canada-China trade deal struck last month on PM Carney's trip to Beijing, Nadjibulla says that the deal resituates Canada's approach to China but that "there are a lot of conversations that need to happen here with Canadians.... about all the profound shifts to [Canada's] foreign policy and engagements."

She emphasized that while the joint statement is from both Canada and China, the provisional document on the agreement is strictly from the Canadian side and acts as "Canada's government expectations and understandings of that agreement." 

Nadjibulla also emphasizes that Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy needs to be revised at the moment Canada is experiencing "because you can't just have a regional approach to engaging the world, we need an overall situation of Canadian foreign policy... and a national security strategy."