In the News

After Trudeau-Will New Canada PM Reset Ties with India?

Smita Sharma Journalist, May 19, 2025

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

Excerpt: Reflecting on Canada's recent political shifts, Nadjibulla notes that "now with the election behind us, with a new Prime Minister, a new cabinet, the meeting in Washington that was seen, from Canada's perspective at least, to have gone relatively well, this is seen as a challenging time but that Canada has a plan and people are solidly behind the new government." 

But she notes that Canada will need a "new relationship" with the U.S. given the new "moment" both nations are now in. "Everyone else is also in that same position of finding a new normal with the U.S." 

When it comes to rekindling ties with India, Nadjibulla highlights that the new government has a desire to deepen relations with like-minded partners. She notes Canada should be focused on watching India's signals around key issues such as investigations into crimes against Khalistan activists on Canadian soil.

Eight good ideas to rediscover our 'panache'

La Presse, May 19, 2025

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

Excerpt: Nadjibulla contributes to a curated list of suggestions for the new Canadian Foreign Minister that envisions a more confident Canadian foreign policy agenda. 

"The country must take full advantage of its [G7] presidency, including opening the doors of the G7 to other allied countries, such as Australia and South Korea," Nadjibulla commented. She emphasized the importance of multilateral organizations like the Five-Eyes and NATO, noting that Canada “need[s] to be at as many tables as possible. That’s where we can work with others to promote a rules-based world."

Anita Anand’s appointment as Canada FM will give boost to ties with India: Experts

Hindustan Times, May 15, 2025

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

Excerpt: Nadjibulla highlights that Anand's appoint may present a “political opening for a reset” when it comes to diplomatic relations with Canada and India.

While it is ultimately at Carney's discretion, Nadjibulla see's Modi's online congratulatory messages to the new Canadian Prime Minister as a “good sign...[while] one of the most important signals” about the future of Canada's relationship with India continues to be the question of Modi's attendance to the G7 Summit, hosted under Canada's presidency in Alberta in this June.

Should Canada Reset Relations with India and China?

TVO Today's The Agenda with host Steve Paikin, May 13, 2025

Featuring: APF Canada Vice-President Research & Strategy Vina Nadjibulla with The Agenda host Steve Paikin and special guests Rohinton Medhora, Professor of Practice at McGill University and Jeff Mahon, Director of Geopolitical & International Business Advisory at StrategyCorp.

Excerpt:  

(India segment)

“There are serious issues that need to be addressed in the relationship, and the road to rebuilding the relationship is going to be a long one and will take a lot of political leadership on both sides and confidence.

“I think there are a few things that could be done right away to signal political readiness on our side. The G7 is coming up, Canada has the presidency, we are in charge of who gets to be invited in addition to the G7 members. I think sending an invitation to Prime Minister Modi, who has been attending all of the G7 meetings since 2019, would be a clear messaging from our side.

“There’s a lot that can be built on, the opportunities are endless, but we need to start
with some political signalling.”

(China segment)

“Canada was actually quite slow in coming to the realization that China under Xi Jinping had really changed. Australia, Japan, the U.S., other allies got there much faster in recognizing the China threat to national security and economic security.

“I think we are at a moment where we need a new conversation, public discussion about what would a made-in-Canada China strategy look like? We can’t reduce the relationship with China strictly to economic terms, in fact that is what China would like us to do, it would like to say our economies are complementary – which is true, we sell a lot of things that China wants - but there is a lot more to this relationship including China’s positioning on issues that we care about . . . and we need to make sure we are able to advance our interests and protect our values.”

CBC Francophone Radio Circuit: Philippines Elections

CBC Radio-Canada, May 13, 2025

Featuring: Alexandre Veilleux, Advisor, Research & Communications (Quebec), APF Canada.

Excerpt: Alex Veilleux participated in a circuit of interviews for Radio-Canada's French-language programs across Canada to discuss the results of the mid-term elections in the Philippines and its global impact.

Veilleux spoke with local stations in cities such as Vancouver, Edmonton, Ottawa, Windsor, Regina, and Winnipeg. 

A Look into the Relations of India and Pakistan

Canadian Global Affairs Institute Podcast, May 12, 2025

Featuring: Vice-President Research & Strategy Vina Nadjibulla with host Colin Robertson and guests Dr. Mariam Mufti and Randolph Mank.

Excerpt:  "It's important to put on the table that this is the most serious escalation in tensions and violence that we've seen between India and Pakistan in decades . . .  I think de-escalation would only happen if both sides can satisfy that they have met their objectives that they can essentially walk away with honour intact.

"And a lot of the kind of the messaging on the ground at the moment is actually quite nationalistic and doesn't leave so much space for that. But of course that can change."

U.S. and China agree to lower tariffs. Did Trump or Xi cave?

CBC – Power & Politics, May 12, 2025

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

Excerpt:  Responding to announcements regarding a tariff pause between the U.S. and China, Nadjibulla highlights that "it is not a reset... it is a temporary truce... and it is one that was necessary because the pain point was just too high. The two sides... went so far it was essentially a trade embargo... and the agenda of de-risking continues... but they needed to de-escalate... and now there is a long process ahead to actually arrive at a deal."

In terms of Trump's goals and strategy, Nadjibulla notes that key questions still concern "what would negotiation look like going forward... to what extent the U.S. can meet those objectives... and to what extent this will play into negotiation with [the U.S. and] others," such as China and India?

How Canada can navigate the India-Pakistan crisis

The Hill Times - Politics This Morning, May 12, 2025

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

Excerpt:  Nadjibulla tells The Hill Times she expects Canada to follow the stead of other Western allies in calling for restraint and de-escalation in the India-Pakistan conflict. She also notes the large South Asia diaspora in Canada and the that risk ongoing conflict could pose to Canada's local communities. 

Despite diplomatic tensions in recent years, Nadjibulla notes that Canada has "important relationships in both India and Pakistan. We also have an Indo-Pacific Strategy, and India is a key partner us implementing that strategy."

CBC's Natasha Fatah speaks to Vina Nadjibulla about the escalation between India and Pakistan

CBC, May 10, 2025

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

Excerpt:  Nadjibulla notes that the "last four days we have seen unprecedented escalations" in the tensions between India and Pakistan in Kashmir. Foreign leaders have now stepped in to mediate based on "alarming intelligence that the situation could get much worse." 

The situation has also shown the potential danger of what "fighting could look like using Chinese and Western latest military equipment." She also notes that China has had a limited diplomatic role despite saying "let's deescalate," perhaps because if "this whole situation results in India being taken down a notch in it's global ambitions, China could potentially benefit."

Has the India-Pakistan ceasefire been broken?

CTV, May 10, 2025

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

Excerpt:  "Everyone wants to find an offramp, de-escalation, and stop the fighting, but the situation is violate and a lot still is unknown."

Nadjibulla notes that the U.S. and China are key players in diplomatic discussions and de-escalation efforts, but that a "full conflict should bring in regional powers... [such as] China, Iran, Russia. We are already at a stage of escalation that we haven't seen really since 1999... it's in everyone's interests to make sure the ceasefire holds." 

Are India and Pakistan on the brink of war?

CBC News, May 7, 2025

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

Excerpt: "We knew that military action was likely coming because that's what has happened historically" between India and Pakistan following a violent incident. 

"India is a critical regional partner, part of the Indo-Pacific . . . so the developments will have implications [across the globe] . . . but the world cannot afford another major conflict . . . the bandwidth for world leaders to deal with another issues is very limited and the desire on all sides is to see deescalation and restraint. 

"This will have a long lasting impact, even if the tension is contained. Moving forward, the relationship will be at a new low for a while." 

India-Pakistan ‘the most militarized’ region in the world today

CTV News, May 7, 2025

Featuring: Jeff Nankivell, President & CEO, APF Canada

Excerpt: Nankivell notes that "the root cause [of escalating tensions is] that this is a disputed territory" with a history of conflict between Pakistan and India, but the "horrific attack on April 22nd that was targeting tourists" in Kashmir, along with "India's retaliat[ion] with military strikes . . . [makes] this is the most militarized, heavily armed, tense region in the world today."

Nankivell also highlights that the nuclear capacity of both nations makes this escalation "very concerning . . . [but] it's not in anyone's interest in Pakistan or India to allow a full scale war to break out . . . and certainly the international community is going to work very hard to make sure this does not escalate further."

CBC Listen Radio Circuit

CBC Listen, May 7, 2025

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

Excerpt: Vina Nadjibulla participated in a circuit of radio interviews across Canada for CBC Listen in cities such as Yellowknife, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver, and more.

"We knew that the situation was extremely tense and India was likely to take a response to the terrorist attack on April 2nd, but the scale of India's response... was really surprising... but probably the worst [incident] we have seen between these two nuclear armed countries in decades." 

Nadjibulla notes that "Kashmir has been at the heart of India and Pakistan" tensions for decades, "but this current crisis comes at a time of relative calm" and a push for economic development in the region. She affirms that "the potential here for larger scale conflict is worrying" and we should be watching now for Pakistan's response. 

(Excerpt from Saskatchewan's The 306 with Peter Mills)

School absences: a robot as a backup in Japan

CBC Radio-Canada, May 4, 2025

Featuring: Cathy Senay, APF Canada 2024-25 Media Fellow.

Excerpt: "In recent years, the number of students absent for extended periods has increased sharply among children and adolescents in Kumamoto [Japan]. Between 2020 and 2023, the number increased from 1,863 to 3,694 students.

The Ministry of Education observes the same trend in the rest of Japan. For example, the number of absent students was 299,000 in 2022, then climbed to 346,000 in 2023. These are records.

...The classroom robot is the latest initiative of the Kumamoto City School Board and a first of its kind in Japan."

Carney Leads Liberals to Victory; Trump Softens Auto Tariffs | Insight with Haslinda Amin 4/29/25

Bloomberg, April 29, 2025

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

Excerpt: "This is a stunning result. No body would have expected this just two months ago... This is very much a result that is shaped by President Trump. Tariffs trade war, and his threats on Canada's sovereignty and independence were the defining issues in this election and Canadians have resoundingly said 'no' to that and 'yes' to Mark Carney...

"[his] government will have to deliver some early wins and the G20 offers him a big opportunity in terms of global leadership..."

Canada PM Mark Carney signals a reset in ties with India if he returns to power

Hindustan Times, April 28, 2025

Featuring: Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy, APF Canada, and  Suvolaxmi Dutta Choudhury, Program Manager, South Asia, APF Canada.

Excerpt: Nadjibulla and Choudhury note that measures will need to be in place and taken before a semblance of normalcy can be achieved in the Canada-India relationship.

They offer suggestions such as inviting Modi for the G7 Leaders’ Summit in June this year as “India will be watching [the G7] closely, particularly regarding the handling of invitations — especially if key non-members are invited." They further suggested justice measure in both Canada and India to address the Nijjar murder similar to those carried out by  Justice general counsel Gurpatwant Pannun in the United States.

Canadians asking ‘Who will best stand up to Trump?’

Al Jazeera, April 28, 2025

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

Excerpt: Nadjibulla contents that today’s Canadian vote represents “one of the most consequential elections in decades... driven as much by President Trump’s tariffs, trade war and even ’51st state’ barbs as by persistent cost-of-living pressures at home”.

She added that domestic issues like Canada's housing crisis “remain urgent concerns, but Canadians are ultimately asking: who will best stand up to Washington and defend our sovereignty and economic interests?”

Canada caught up in China-U.S. trade war as Trump claims fentanyl continues to flow

CTV News, April 24, 2025

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

Excerpt: On the Canada-China relationship, Nadjibulla argues that "whatever difficulties we have with the U.S., China is not the solution."

Earlier Carney-Trump meeting under scrutiny as election campaign enters final days

The Vassy Kapelos Show, April 24, 2025

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

Excerpt: "It's clear the current situation is unsustainable for both [the U.S. and China] economies, so we likely will see some reduction in tariffs... [but] the overall relationship will remain a challenging one."

Nadjibulla argues that Trump's plan to rebalance global economic trade means that "China needs to stop exporting its way out of it's domestic economic struggles... They will need to have a rethink [on their economic system]... and make some changes.

"In terms of a full restructuring of the Chinese economy, that is going to be a longer term prospect and we'll see to what extent those changes will be happening... whether or not [China is] willing to bring about reforms that don't need it is a question mark."

Reconnecting with India

La Press, April 16, 2025

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

Excerpt: "On China, Canada is in tune with Western countries. On India, Canada is an anomaly."

"We need to have a relationship with India that allows us to manage disputes - and they are considerable, I don't want to minimize that," Nadjibulla argues.

She adds that "reducing the relationship between Canada and India to the sole issue of Sikh concerns or Sikh activism is detrimental to national interests and Canadian values in the broad sense."