Canada moves toward Asia-Pacific region

Brian L Job outlines the reasons for Canada's increasing orientation towards the Asia-Pacific.

In 1994-1995, the Canadian Government issued both a new Defense White Paper and a major statement on foreign policy, after a period of intensive public and parliamentary discussion and review. The premise that Canada should be an active global and regional player is carried into the security field with the affirmation in the foreign policy statement that Canada "requires a security policy that promotes peace in every part of the world with which (it) has close economic political links."

The drafters of the White Paper sought to establish "a flexible, realistic and affordable defense policy". The distinctive character of Canada's reformulated outlook is found in the White Paper's recognition of the salience of regional stability in Asia to Canada's security interests. Thus, a joint report on defense policy, issued by Canada's upper and lower parliamentary chambers, stated that "if Canadians want to be able to influence events in the Asia-Pacific region, we must show that we have a stake in that region, that we see a Canadian security interest and are prepared to invest resources in protecting that interest."

For the last five years, officials of Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs have been advancing such an agenda on bilateral, subregional and regional levels. The aim, to be seen as a responsible and engaged regional participant, largely through the development of multilateral processes. In substantive terms, the focus has been on defusing the potential for conflict in traditional regional tension spots such as the Korean Peninsula and the South China Sea, and on promoting social and political stability with sustainable development.

In Southeast Asia, where Canada has had long-standing relationships, Ottawa has fostered dialogue directly through its participation in the Asean Post-Ministerial Conference and the Asean Regional Forum (ARF). Indirectly, it has worked with Indonesia in underwriting the workshops on Managing Potential Conflict in the South China Sea. With ARF members, Canada has orchestrated a good deal of the collective effort on support for United Nations peacekeeping, in part as a confidence-building measure.

In the North Pacific, Canada continues to advance prospects for sub-regional multilateralism. Canada is an active participant in the Council on Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific (CSCAP), and co-chairs CSCAP's Working Group on the North Pacific. Five years ago, the Canadian-initiated North Pacific Cooperative Security dialogue was a pioneer effort in this region.

The Canadian agenda, while initially solely a venture of the Department of Foreign Affairs, now involves limited but expanding roles for the Department of National Defense and the Canadian foreign aid agency, CIDA (especially as appreciation for unconventional security threats and human security requirements take hold).

The Defense department is committed to reaching out to other regions, in line with a reorientation of what was its central focus on the Euro-Atlantic region. In the Pacific, the Canadian navy participates in RIMPAC air and naval exercises with the United States, Japan and Australia, and has engaged in multilateral consultations involving these and other states. Bilateral and multilateral military contacts are expanding, seen as a logical consequence of the greater numbers of naval resources being deployed on the Pacific coast and the desire of Canada's Pacific Command to assume a larger and more active role. Indeed, with commitments for naval tours already in place, the Canadian flag will be a good deal more visible in the Asia- Pacific the next several years.

Canada's security outlook has undergone dramatic changes during the past five years. Security is viewed in a broader, less overtly military fashion. Advancement of cooperative security is seen as having operational implications. The Euro-Atlanticist lenses of the Department of National Defense are being replaced by an appreciation of the importance of other regions to Canada's primary security interests. There is a growing realization that political, economic and social stability in key regions, especially Asia, needs to be supported and promoted.

Canada's new security agenda in the Asia-Pacific hinges upon the encouragement of multilateral dialogue and regional institution-building and upon gaining appreciation for the most appropriate contribution Canada can make as an engaged partner.

Dr. Brian L Job. is Director of the Institute of International Relations, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.