(San Francisco) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau landed in northern California on Wednesday to begin three days of meetings with leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member countries in San Francisco.
The government’s newly acquired Airbus CC-330 landed at San Francisco International Airport, where Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the United States, led a coterie of emissaries who welcomed the Prime Minister .
The iconic motorcycle police officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHiP) escorted the prime minister’s convoy, sirens blaring, to the limits of the security perimeter around the summit venue.
PHOTO ADRIAN WYLD, THE CANADIAN PRESS
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Mr. Trudeau first had a bilateral meeting with California Governor Gavin Newsom, a “liberal” politician whose efforts to combat climate change have made him an important and valuable ally of Canada.
The Prime Minister was then scheduled to participate in a roundtable discussion on the rising cost of food, then appear at an APEC reception hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden later Wednesday, before a welcome dinner with leaders of the technology sector.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping to try to defuse a year of international tensions, a meeting widely seen as the focal point of this summit.
Reports suggest the two leaders were working on a deal to resume bilateral military communications and keep artificial intelligence out of their respective nuclear defense systems.
Mr. Trudeau, meanwhile, will aim for tangible progress on policy priorities in the Indo-Pacific region, during bilateral meetings with other APEC leaders.
Federal officials say at least two bilateral economic initiatives with key Indo-Pacific partners will be on Canada’s list.
The absence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also makes psychodrama unlikely around Mr. Trudeau’s allegations of a link between Indian government agents and the June shooting death of a prominent Sikh leader in British Columbia.
“Mr. Modi is not here, so India is not here,” said Andreas Schotter, an associate professor of business at Western University in Ontario.
“Some felt that this gave the Prime Minister (Trudeau) a chance to avoid discussion on the issue, but I don’t think that’s a good thing: I think a meeting would have been better than avoidance.” , he added.
There is still a lot of important work for Canada to do at APEC, officials emphasize: it is essential to be at the table in a part of the world where the decisions that are made are likely to affect Canadians for generations.
Goals
Mr. Trudeau’s main goals include closer collaboration with APEC countries that will promote middle-class growth and healthy regional competition, all with the aim of advancing the fight against climate change.
Officials say Trudeau will encourage new Canadian efforts to foster more efficient food production and healthier supply chains, as well as remove trade barriers with Pacific nations.
The region accounts for approximately half of global merchandise trade and is the destination for more than 88% of Canadian exports. APEC’s merchandise exports and imports now both exceed US$12 trillion per year.
Canada’s share of this pie reached $1.3 trillion last year, an increase of 22%, thanks to partners such as the United States, China, Mexico, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam .
The summit comes a year after the Liberal government launched a new $2.3 billion “Indo-Pacific strategy” aimed at strengthening regional alliances to guard against China’s growing power.