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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.”

Canada-Philippine relations expected to grow with Carney meeting

CTV News, July 2, 2026

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

Excerpt: Nadjibulla says President Marcos Jr.'s visit to Canada marks a "major milestone in Canada-Philippines relations." It shows that the relationship is "growing and expanding around economic, defence, security, and people-to-people ties... it also strengthens Canada's engagement with Southeast Asia more generally," as the Philippines will host the ASEAN Summit as its 2026 Chair later this year.

She notes the visit is also part of the prime minister's "middle-power diplomacy diversification effort... It's good to see that Canadian outreach is being reciprocated."

As a stand-alone visit without additional stops in the U.S., Nadjibulla says this visit "really shows the Philippines cares about Canada and sees it as a reliable partner with which it wants to deepen relations."

Canada, Philippines sign sectoral agreements during Marcos visit to Vancouver

Canadian Press (via BNN Bloomberg), July 2, 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.

She says Carney has visited leaders abroad, but having them come to Canada shows a real interest, particularly as the Philippines works with Ottawa on trade, maritime surveillance and energy.

Canada is currently negotiating a trade deal with both the Philippines and a broader bloc of southeast Asian nations, and Carney hopes to conclude those talks ahead of his visit to Manila in November.

What Philippine president’s visit reveals about Canada’s Indo-Pacific ambitions

South China Morning post (SCMP), July 2, 2026

Featuring: Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla, APF Canada; Rachael Gurney, Senior Project Specialist, Trade & Investment, APF Canada

Excerpt: “The Philippines is an important place to begin because it is where Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy has arguably had its greatest impact,” Vina Nadjibulla, vice-president for research and strategy of the Asia Pacific Foundation Canada, wrote in an article posted on the foundation’s website on Monday.

Rachael Gurney, a senior project specialist in international trade and investment at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, said the Filipino diaspora’s “deep integration” gave any foreign policy goals between Canada and the Philippines “a strong foundation to build on”.

“President Marcos is visiting Vancouver, which has the third largest Filipino community in Canada,” she said. “Filipinos are the third largest immigrant group in the Metro Vancouver area, making his visit very significant for promoting Canada-Philippines ties.”

Carney, Philippines President to discuss energy and trade

The Globe and Mail, July 1, 2026

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

Excerpt: Vina Nadjibulla, vice-president of strategy and research at the Asia Pacific Foundation, noted that the Philippines was the first country to declare a state of national energy emergency in response to the war in Iran, after the conflict disrupted supply chains, drove up fuel prices and exposed the country’s acute dependence on imported petroleum.

Canada and the Philippines have grown closer in recent years, particularly on the security and defence front. In November, they signed a legal framework allowing Canadian and Philippine troops to train and operate on each other’s territory, among other agreements.

“I think there’s also conversation around uranium and a nuclear sector, because Philippines is interested in exploring that,” Ms. Nadjibulla said.

If USMCA is not renewed, analysts expect uncertainty for businesses

Al Jazeera, June 28, 2026

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

Excerpt: “The most likely scenario is that [the USMCA agreement] will go into an annual renewal process,” said Vina Nadjibulla, vice president and head of research at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, a nonprofit think tank.

But she added that the dynamics of July’s negotiations remain unclear. She pointed to a lingering question: “Is nothing agreed till everything is agreed, or is incremental change acceptable?”

In the worst case, any party could give six months’ notice and cancel the trade agreement altogether.

Nadjibulla noted that Trump might be leaning in that direction. “He has said he wished [the USMCA] didn’t exist,” she said.

What the rupee’s recent swings mean for the Canada-India trade pact talks

The Globe and Mail, June 26, 2026

Featuring: Tanya Dawar, Research Scholar, South Asia, APF Canada

Excerpt: “If anything, both sides have more reasons to close the deal,” said Tanya Dawar, a research scholar with the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, in a recent interview.

“This highlights distinct movements between more reactive, short-term portfolio flows and more stable, long-term investment commitments,” she said.

As for Canadian exporters, a softer rupee will make goods such as Saskatchewan pulses and potash more expensive. That currency pressure comes on top of existing Indian tariffs.

Said Ms. Dawar: “Saskatchewan farmers are getting squeezed twice.”

US and allies flex military muscle on China’s doorstep with multi-front drills

South China Morning Post (SCMP), June 26, 2026

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

Excerpt: Experts say Washington still regards its own bases and forces as essential but is increasingly looking to allies to contribute more in terms of capabilities, access, personnel and political resolve.

“The emerging model is therefore a more distributed coalition in which Japan, the Philippines, Australia and other partners bring complementary capabilities and provide access across a wider geographical area,” said Vina Nadjibulla, vice-president of research and strategy at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.

For Nadjibulla, the collective message is clear: deterrence will depend less on a single large US presence and more on a dispersed, resilient and interoperable coalition designed to complicate an adversary’s planning across the region.

“They demonstrate that the US is trying to replace a primarily hub-and-spokes alliance system with a more networked security architecture,” she said.

Canada should choose German subs for linguistic reasons, TKMS executive says

The Globe and Mail, June 25, 2026

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

Excerpt: Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President, Research and Strategy at the Asia Pacific Foundation, said Canada, says Canada and South Korea have a deep and mature partnership spanning trade and investment, defence and security, as well as political relations, and share extensive cultural and people-to-people ties.

“Framing the submarine decision as a choice between different ‘cultural ecosystems’ is unnecessary and risks creating an artificial cultural wedge between close partners,” Nadjibulla added. “Korean firms operate globally and have demonstrated that they can work effectively across languages, regulatory systems and business environments.

“At a time when Canada is seeking to deepen its defence and industrial relationships with trusted partners in Asia, proposals should be judged on capability, industrial benefits and long-term value, not on assumptions about cultural compatibility.”

Radio West with Sarah Penton: Team Canada's Trade Mission to Japan

CBC Radio News (multi-station syndication engagement), June 24, 2026

Featuring: President & CEO Jeff Nankivell, APF Canada

Excerpt: [Starting at 1:07:40] Nankivell tells CBC's Sarah Penton that the ongoing Team Canada Trade Mission to Japan comes at the right time.

"It is imperative that [Canada] diversifies its trade and investment relationships around the world and Japan is going to be a really important part of that. We already have a strong and growing economic relationship with Japan... it shares Canada's values and it shares our geopolitical priorities... so it's a natural partner for Canada."

To take advantage of Canada's expanding trade partnership with Japan, including, he notes, through mechanisms like the Trans-Pacific Partnership, "businesses need to get out there and find partners in Japan, familiarize themselves with the... culturally specific and stringent requirements of the Japanese markets, and make themselves known to potential customers and distributors and investors in Japan. That's what this kind of mission can help to do."

Politics This Morning: Carney celebrates Quebec

The Hill Times - Politics This Morning, June 23, 2026

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

Excerpt: Nadjibulla told Politics This Morning that ultimately it will be up to the Chinese Communist Party to decide if a joint venture between Chinese and Canadian firms to build cars in Canada would be possible. What would make such a deal attractive to China, if there is one at all, is the potential for access to the North American market and not just the Canadian market, she said. But so far, the signals from U.S. decision-makers suggest they are not open to allowing access to Chinese cars, Nadjibulla added.

“It will depend on whether China wants to play the long game and enter the Canadian market, and then position itself for an eventual change in the U.S., maybe in five years, maybe in three years … because it’s not commercially viable just to produce for the Canadian market. It’s too small.”

Canada-China EVs Deal

OMNI, June 22, 2026

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

Excerpt: Vina Nadjibulla discusses the possibility of a joint manufacturing venture for Chinese EVs in Canada, noting that "in China, it's not like private companies... can act completely independent of the government."

"So this idea that private... Canadian companies and Chinese companies will talk... will come up with some kind of deal," and that the "governments would just need to stay out of the way," she says, "I don't think that would work in the case of China"

Canada on track for increased low-tariff Chinese EV imports, Joly says

The Globe and Mail, June 22, 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 Canadians should not assume Chinese vehicle makers are making their own decisions, independent of Beijing’s Communist Party-controlled government, on how to enter this country’s market.

“We shouldn’t be naive,” she said. “In the case of China, the government plays a critical role, and we cannot assume that these are market-driven private sector conversations.”

“So far the U.S. has made it very clear that they don’t want to see Chinese EVs in the U.S., and they’re going to actually tighten rules of origin for the auto sector.”

Dans l'actualité

Réactions médiatiques de la FAP Canada aux derniers enjeux et événements en Asie