Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent trip to Laos might not have generated flashy headlines back home, but it underscored a crucial truth: Canada must show up consistently and visibly if it wants a real stake in Southeast Asia’s economic rise.
At the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, Trudeau made it clear that this isn’t about ideology or political grandstanding. It’s about economic reality. ASEAN nations collectively make up Canada’s fourth-largest trading partner, and trade with the bloc has nearly doubled since 2015. Those numbers don’t lie: the region is a growth engine, and Canada risks being left behind if it doesn’t deepen its involvement.
Trudeau’s announcements upgrading diplomatic missions in Laos and Cambodia to full embassies, pledging $128 million largely for environmental and climate initiatives, and reinforcing maritime and defence presence are steps in the right direction. But they also highlight how much catching up Canada has to do. “Showing up,” as the prime minister put it, isn’t just about a leader’s handshake or a speech. It’s about Canadian businesses investing, trade missions becoming routine, and our embassies and trade offices expanding their reach.
The stakes go beyond economics. Southeast Asia is a geopolitical flashpoint. China’s increasingly aggressive moves in the South China Sea where it’s clashing with the Philippines and Vietnam threaten international shipping lanes and regional stability. Canada’s decision to send Coast Guard and naval vessels through those waters is more than symbolic; it’s a commitment to upholding international law and freedom of navigation.
Yet presence is a long game. While Washington courts the region with strategic muscle and other Western allies jostle for influence, Canada can’t rely on occasional visits or incremental trade deals alone. The proposed free-trade agreement with ASEAN and a separate pact with Indonesia are important milestones, but they will only matter if followed by sustained, on-the-ground engagement.
Canada has the credibility and the economic muscle to be a meaningful partner, but only if it treats Southeast Asia as a priority rather than a side trip. Trudeau’s message from Laos was blunt but necessary: we need to keep showing up not just in words, but in investments, diplomacy, and maritime presence. The alternative is watching others write the rules of the region’s future while we sit on the sidelines.
