Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will head to Laos this week to boost regional trade and political ties as violence in the Middle East dominates public opinion in Southeast Asia.
Bina Najibullah, vice-president of research and strategy at the Canada Asia-Pacific Foundation, said Canada and other Western countries are struggling in Muslim-majority countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia, where public opinion tends to favor Palestinians. He said it had taken a “reputational hit.” For Israel and against it.
Najibullah said Prime Minister Trudeau will have the opportunity to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit on October 10-11 to counter claims that the West is indifferent to the “suffering in Gaza.” said.
“Importantly, to counter this charge of hypocrisy, we remind everyone that we value human rights and are concerned with resolving conflicts not just in specific places but everywhere in the world. ,” Najibullah said.
She said claims that Western countries, especially the United States, are taking a hypocritical approach to the Israel-Hamas war are “exaggerated” and driven by Russian and Chinese disinformation campaigns.
Five Israeli missiles hit a camp on the Gaza Strip’s coast, killing 19 people and injuring dozens more. The area was supposed to be a humanitarian safe zone, but Israel claims it used “precision weapons” to target Hamas leaders during the attack.
“Essentially, we care more about Ukraine’s suffering because it’s in Europe than we do when Ukraine is suffering in Africa, the Middle East, etc.,” Najibulla said. . “This accusation basically shows that all human rights are not treated equally.”
Trudeau’s efforts to overcome these tensions will be closely monitored at the summit, she said.
Following his first official visit to Laos, Trudeau will attend talks hosted by US President Joe Biden to “reaffirm global solidarity” with Ukraine in the fight against Russia, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. Scheduled to fly to a US Air Force base in Germany. Said.
ASEAN was established in 1967 with the aim of accelerating economic growth and promoting peace and stability in the region. ASEAN is made up of 10 countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia.
Hezbollah has barraged northern Israel with rockets as fighting intensifies after an Israeli Defense Force missile strike in Beirut killed dozens of people, including a senior Hezbollah official. US and UN officials are now urging both sides to back off.
This year’s ASEAN summit will be held one year after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched the deadliest attack in Israel’s history, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, Israel said. .
In the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, workers from some countries, including Thailand, were killed by Hamas and others were taken hostage.
ASEAN countries have different approaches to the overall Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but last month they unanimously voted in favor of a UN resolution calling for an end to Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories within one year.
Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, condemned Israel’s attack on Gaza. Brunei and Laos also expressed solidarity with the Palestinians.
Kai Ostwald, chair of Asia research at HSBC and associate professor at the University of British Columbia, said Malaysia, which will chair ASEAN next year, has been “very vocal” about the Israel-Hamas war and the recent escalation in Lebanon. . In August, Malaysia He accused the “international community” of standing by while “Israeli occupation forces continue to kill women, children and the elderly with no consequences.”
“Therefore, we will certainly use the ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit as platforms to raise global concerns and call for unity to address this issue,” Ostwald said.
“Singapore, by contrast, is sandwiched between Malaysia and Indonesia and has close historical ties to Israel,” Ostwald said. “There is a risk that Gaza will become an even bigger wedge for the region.”
“We are on a knife edge right now.”
Canada is trying to walk a fine line when it comes to conflict. The federal government said it supports Israel’s right to defend itself and both countries. Support the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and support the establishment of a Palestinian state. Canada It also calls for a ceasefire, increased humanitarian aid to Gaza, and the return of hostages to Israel.
Roland Paris, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s former foreign policy adviser, said the Middle East conflict could receive significant attention at the ASEAN summit “if retaliation between Iran and its proxies in Israel continues to escalate.”
“We are now on the brink of a crisis, closer than we have seen in decades to a major regional war in the Middle East,” said Parris, now director of the School of Public and International Affairs. . at the University of Ottawa.
Although the conflict may overshadow ASEAN’s agenda, Canada’s focus at the summit will be on expanding trade with one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, Paris said.
Together, the ASEAN countries make up the world’s fifth largest economy, with a combined GDP of $3.8 trillion.
After decades of sporadic engagement with the region, Canada is now a “strategic partner” of ASEAN, the highest level of recognition for a non-member state. One of Canada’s main goals at the summit is to finalize a trade agreement in the region.
Indonesia, the region’s largest economy, has committed to signing an agreement with Canada by the end of 2024. Ottawa also aims to conclude separate free trade agreements with all of ASEAN by 2025.
Although these agreements are not expected to be finalized at the ASEAN summit, a senior government official said Canada aims to conclude free trade negotiations with Indonesia by the end of November. CBC News is not identifying the source because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
But Canada is competing with other countries, especially China, ASEAN’s largest trading partner. China recently funded a railway through Laos that opened in 2021 and continues to build infrastructure across Southeast Asia.
Paris said ASEAN countries are trying to reduce their dependence on China and avoid supply chain risks. He added that Canada can show that it is open for business and provide ASEAN countries with access to the North American market.
“The Prime Minister’s attendance demonstrates on the ground that Canada is serious about building relationships, which is a prerequisite for expanding trade relations,” said Paris.
Najibullah said Trudeau is expected to work with ASEAN countries on other areas where cooperation is possible, such as climate change, cybersecurity and maritime security.