Dans l'actualité

Rearming in reverse

La Presse, November 22, 2025

Featuring: APF Canada 2025-26 Media Fellow, Laura-Julie Perreault.

Excerpt: "Safe under the American umbrella, Japan, like Canada, long preferred to invest in public services rather than its armed forces. Today, the awakening is harsh, and the path to greater autonomy is not to everyone's liking." 

This four-part dossier charts Japan’s contemporary rearmament strategy, looking at the civil push back to increased military presence in Okinawa, marketing strategies in Japan's only military magazine, the country’s evolution from imperial power to pacificism, and rearmament in the Trump era of global politics.  

Indo-Pacific capital into B.C. critical minerals jumps tenfold in one year, says report

BIV News, November 21, 2025

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

Excerpt: “Critical minerals is now apparently a big priority for Canada as well as Indo-Pacific partners. Everybody's trying to diversify supplies,” Vina Nadjibulla told BIV News. 

“B.C. is a big mining hub in Canada … the trend we're seeing from the Indo-Pacific—there's attention to B.C. as a place for mining and critical mineral exploration.”

“What we saw interesting this year," says Vina, citing APF Canada's recent Investment Monitor Report looking at two-way FDI flows between Canada and the Indo-Pacific in 2024, "was the investment from China to Canada has increased significantly, including into British Columbia … after declining during the political crisis [in 2018]."

Canada hopes to conclude free-trade negotiations with Philippines next year

Manila Bulletin, November 18, 2025

Featuring: Barret Bingley, Asia Regional Director, APF Canada

Excerpt: "Barrett Bingley, Regional Director for Asia of Vancouver-based think tank Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada), explained that Canada is looking to fast-track talks with the Philippines due to uncertainties with the tariff policy of U.S. President Donald Trump.

US can’t break China-Russia strategic alignment, says analyst

CNBC, November 7, 2025

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

Excerpt: "Both sides wanted to show that the relationship between Russia and China remains strong... and that nothing that happened between the U.S. and China would in any way derail that" partnership. 

She adds that the "symbolism of this meeting was much more significant than the outcome." 

"For the last two years we have seen Russia become more of a junior partner to China...Russia dependence on China, both economically but also diplomatically, is very much obvious... but there is some frictions in the relationship as well around." Such friction points are shown in Russia's desire for "more support from China when it comes to sanctions," but Nadjibulla notes that China is being strategic to not develop economic over-dependence on one market. China, she says, "has all the cards."

Jaishankar to visit Canada next week to attend G7 foreign ministers’ meet

Hindustan Times, November 7, 2025

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

Excerpt: Nadjibulla says it is “good to see India among the guests” for the G7 Foriegn Ministers' meeting in Niagara Falls next week. “It will be another opportunity for Canada and India in the repair and rebuilding of the relationship.”

“India is an important player” on ket topics proposed in the meetings agenda, including maritime security in both the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.

"The Asia Pacific Foundation's role in connecting Canada and Asia will become increasingly important" - Interview with Christy Nakamura

Japan Canada Today, November 4, 2025

Featuring: Christine Nakamura, Vice-President, Central Canada Office, APF Canada 

Excerpt: "The Asia Pacific Foundation was established in 1984. It is an organization created by the government through an Act of Parliament.

"...The reason why the Canadian government decided that a Foundation was necessary at the time was because Japan was the second largest economy in the world . . . and they decided that 'we need to deepen our ties with Japan'... In other words, the Foundation was initially created out of a desire to deepen ties with Japan. Then, several decades later, with the rise of China and the recognition that Asia is a strong and important market in many ways, it became clear that we needed to deepen our ties not only with Japan, but with all of Asia."

PH, Canada formalize Visiting Forces Agreement

One News PH, November 4, 2025

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

Excerpt: Bearing in mind the heightened tensions in the South China Sea in recent years, Nadjibulla says it is important for Canada to "have this robust security and defence partnership with the Philippines to be able to contribute to maintaining that peace and stability [in the region] that has served [Canada] so well." 

She notes Philippines was the first country to receive Canada's Dark Vessel Detection program "utilizes private sector know-how" with public, government support to enhance maritime domain awareness.

Was PM Carney’s Asia Trip Successful? | Your Morning

CTV Your Morning, November 3, 2025

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

Excerpt: Nadjibulla calls the meeting between PM Carney and Chinese President Xi a "turning point" in Canada-China relations.

However, "whatever {Canada] do[es] with China" she says,  "has to sequence and triangulate it a way that does not negatively impact our negotiations with the U.S.... I think what they will try to do is more forward on easier issues rather than on EVs which will be considered discussions on Canada's auto sector and our negotiations with the U.S."

She also says there appears to be a "pause" on the U.S.-China trade war after a similar meeting between China and the U.S. President Donald Trump. "There will be many challenges [still to come] because there are many structural issues between China and the U.S. that will likely flare up in the future" 

APF Canada's Vina Najibulla weighs in as Manila, Ottawa ink landmark visiting forces deal | ANC

ANC, November 3, 2025

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

Excerpt: Nadjibulla calls the signing of this visiting forces agreement between Canada and the Philippines a "major milestone" in the relationship.

She notes that this is Canada's "first such agreement in the Indo-Pacific" and represents a "huge testament to the trust and confidence Canada has in our relationship with the Philippines." 

This agreement comes after years of talks and a previous MoU. Nadjibulla says this move builds on Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy and allows Canada to "work with local partners... in maintaining rules-based order and maintaining open sea lanes which are so critical to Canada's economic prosperity." Canada, she says, "want[s] to do more with the region commercially... and for that to be the case we need peace and stability and Canada wants to be a stakeholder in that peace and stability, not just a beneficiary of the prosperity that can happen if [Canada and the Philippines] do more together." 

Expert: Canada will have to find a meaningful way to engage both China and the U.S.

CTV News, November 1, 2025

Featuring: Senior Fellow, APF Canada, Jia Wang

Excerpt: Discussing the recent meeting between Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Jia Wang says "it is quite an important moment for the relationship to see a reset." 

Canada will "have to find a way to meet this new reality of working and finding a way to meaningfully engage" with both China and the U.S., she says.

Wang notes that "building relationships" were a critical priority for Canada at the APEC Summit. Carney's trip to Asia, she adds, "is trying to make Canada more visible in Asia, more committed to working with Asian partners... it's an area that Canada can't look away from... [Canada] ha[s] to build those relationships. We have to show that we are committed to stay and really work with those countries in the long term." 

Canada’s Carney and China’s Xi Jinping take step towards mending ties

Al Jazeera, October 31, 2025

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

Excerpt: “The meeting signals a change in tone and an openness to relations at the highest levels, but this is not a return to strategic partnership,” said Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. “Canada needs to proceed with caution because there’s nothing to suggest the Chinese Communist Party’s actions have changed since the prime minister named China as a foreign security threat.”

Partnerships spur regional collaborations

China Daily Asia, November 3, 2025

Featuring: Distinguished Fellow, APF Canada, Bart Édes

Excerpt: While both APEC and ASEAN+3 focus on "pragmatic, consensus-driven economic collaboration", compared to APEC, "ASEAN+3 is a more cohesive East Asian framework grounded on treaty-based mechanisms."

Édes nots that both frameworks are "well-positioned to advance a counternarrative of inclusive globalization rooted in Asia's pragmatic economic model... [and support] new Asian regionalism" with an emphasis on integration, multipolarity and regional resilience compared to the U.S.'s  reliance on tariffs and "aggressive transactional approaches" to spur FDI. 

Canola, electric vehicles at center of talks between PM Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping

CHCH News, October 31, 2025

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

Excerpt: While Nadjibulla says a reset in Canada-China relations and relief from the canola tariffs that are hurting Canadian farmers is ideal, there remains  "broader issues connected to national security, economic security, and foreign security" when it comes to dealing with China.

She notes Canada-China relations are "in a very different moment" than we were in 2018. However, "both China and the U.S. are now weaponizing over dependence, so [Canada] has to have many [trading] partners" to prevent over reliance on any single market 

Carney says he's pleased after 'turning point' meeting with Chinese president

CBC News Power & Politics, October 31, 2025

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

Excerpt: “So definitely no breakthroughs, no announcements on trade or tariffs as some people were hoping for, but very much a change in tone and an indication of a change in direction,” said Nadjibulla. “Prime Minister Carney wants to see the relationship deepen and broaden. He's already signalled that he will be travelling to Beijing to continue the discussions and to explore what is feasible. But we don't have a lot of details and specifics.

“There are a lot of questions," added Nadjibulla. "But on balance, a constructive, positive meeting that was about half an hour, so not as long as some of the other meetings with Japan or the U.S., but an important first step in this kind of new moment, a turning point in the relationship.”

Your World Tonight: Carney Meets Xi

CBC Listen, Your World Tonight, October 31, 2025

Featuring: President & CEO, APF Canada, Jeff Nankivell

Excerpt (12:35 min mark): 

Jeff Nankivell is with the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, and he says Canada's deteriorating relationship with the United States has set the conditions for Canada and China to get past the bad blood that's been created.

“After the affair of the Meng Wanzhou, the two Michaels . . . I don't think there's a prime minister out there who would have been in a position to have some kind of a reset of the relationship immediately,” said Nankivell.

“So, I think it's partially a question of timing, and we also have circumstance."

Canada-China relationship at 'turning point': Carney

BNN Bloomberg, October 31, 2025

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

Excerpt: "While we do want to do more with China in certain areas, we have to remember that all of the security concerns with China on national security, foreign interference, economic security concerns, are still there and we have to proceed with caution."

She stresses Canada's economic diversification agenda and looking to Southeast Asia for new economic markets. 

"We have to approach this differently, new have to find new markets, many more partners, and move up the value chains., Instead of just selling canola seed, what else can we do with that product.... we're in a new era where we cannot juts be selling raw material to one or two customers." 

Foreign Policy expert on Carney and Xi meeting

CPAC, October 31, 2025

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

Excerpt: Nadjibulla clarifies that while China may be Canada's second largest trading partner, it only accounts for about 3.8% of Canadian exports. Having a "constructive relationship... and dialogue" with China, she says, is critical. 

"With China, the strategy is deepen where we can and diversify where we have to." 

While PM Carney has emphasized the need to garner international investment for Canada's export infrastructure, Nadjibulla notes that if China "were to invest in our critical infrastructure" such as ports and bridges, "that presents national security risk."

Carney says he's pleased after 'turning point' meeting with Chinese president

CBC News, October 31, 2025

Featuring: President & CEO, APF Canada, Jeff Nankivell

Excerpt: 

"I don't think there's a prime minister out there who would have been in a position to have some kind of a reset of the relationship immediately,” said Nankivell, adding enough time has passed for the two countries to start talking again. 

“For Canada, the imperative to diversify our trading relationships on quite an urgent basis is there since the arrival of the Trump administration.”

‘No major breakthroughs, but a change of tone’: Nadjibulla on Carney-President Xi meeting at summit

CTV News, October 31, 2025

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

Excerpt: Nadjibulla says the meeting between Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping produced "no major breakthroughs" but rather a "change of tone and a signals that both governments want to work on the issues" facing the bilateral relationship. 

She reminds Canadians that "we've got to engage in dialogue, but do so in a cautious way, co-ordinate with our allies, and in sequence along with the discussions we are having with the U.S."

When it comes to foreign interference concerns, she notes that the "relationship with China is complex... we can't just call [China] a strategic partner and forget about everything else," alluding to the 2018 diplomatic dispute and accusations made by former PM Justin Trudeau against China. 

Canada’s Indo-Pacific Moment: What Carney’s First Trip Got Right

Policy Magazine, October 31, 2025

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

Excerpt: In a new op-ed by Vina Nadjibulla as a guest contributor for Policy Magazine, she highlights how "Mark Carney’s first trip to the Indo-Pacific was deliberately ambitious." 

"The goal was clear: raise Canada’s profile, signal reliability, and put real numbers behind an economic diversification agenda that has long been more aspiration than plan.

"Carney’s trip landed at the right moment. Across the region, governments are looking for partners that are predictable, rules-based, and not forcing them to choose between Washington and Beijing. Canada’s message—that it honours its commitments, pursues high-standard trade agreements, and supports inclusive and sustainable growth—resonated."