As irritating as it may sometimes be to governments and business people, international commerce and investment do not survive and thrive in a vacuum.
For trade and other economic relations between nations to proceed fruitfully and with the least possible disruptions, they must be part of a broad spectrum of links between the two countries.
Which raises the question whether Canada, despite decades of professing the desire to develop trade and investment links with Asia, has paid enough attention to other parts of the relationship with countries on the far side of the Pacific Ocean.
Asian business people and governments put great stock in relationships with partners who are dependable through thick and thin, especially the thin years. All too often successive Canadian governments have blown hot and cold on the Asian relationship. Embassies and consulates get opened and closed seemingly at whim. In some years there’s avid support from Ottawa for programs to assist Asian partners with administrative, judicial, social or human rights development. In other years these programs may disappear entirely, either for budgetary reasons or because Latin America or Africa or elsewhere has become the flavour of the moment.
Like it or not, security and defence co-operation are essential elements in the rounded relationships that make commerce hum. For Canada, that means naval co-operation with Asia-Pacific allies. Canada’s Maritime Forces Pacific do what they can, but Ottawa’s deployment of the navy remains Atlantic-centric. Seven of Canada’s 12 frigates, our only modern, long-range warships, are based in Halifax and only five at Esquimalt.
Many naval officers, usually after retirement, and other commentators on military affairs have argued for years that more ships should be deployed to the Pacific if Canada is serious about developing its Asian links. Ottawa does not seem to be listening.
