“Please take this gathering as a real sign of the absolute importance that our government is placing on Canada’s business relationships abroad, our real conviction that trade and international trade is a hugely important path to the middle class prosperity, which is a central part of our mandate,” Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a gathering with business leaders.
“It’s great when we can create leaders’ dialogues and talk about better collaboration and sign trade deals and partnerships,” Trudeau told the group. “But if we don’t then follow up with investment, with business ties, with job creation and strengthening economic exchanges, we’re not doing the full work that we need.”
Leaders from 21 countries, including Canada, are in Manila, Philippines, to talk trade at the APEC summit, which started on Nov. 18. Out in the streets, hundreds of protesters clashed with police as they attempted to take their demonstration to the venue of the meetings.
“Everybody appreciates that we are a pro-trade government and everybody understands that we have to consult our people,” Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion told reporters at a news conference. “Ratification is not tomorrow for [any] country so we’ll have the time to engage Canadians seriously about this trade deal.”
This APEC summit, Trudeau’s first since being sworn in earlier this month, is his inaugural trip to Asia as prime minister. As he did at the G20 talks earlier this week in Turkey, he has caused a bit of a stir.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer ran a front page story with photos of Trudeau and Mexico’s Enrique Pean Nieto asking who was more handsome. But the newspaper seems to have anointed Trudeau.
Security for the summit is very tight in light of recent deadly attacks in Paris, with many Filipinos complaining of difficulties and disruptions to daily life as a result.
Trudeau met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before the APEC Summit started on Nov. 18.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with President Benigno Aquino III of the Philippines on November 18 on the margins of the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Coo-peration) Summit in Manila. The two leaders discussed the strong relationship between their two countries, reinforced by people-to-people links and development cooperation. They also discussed issues of mutual interest, including trade and regional security. Prime Minister Trudeau thanked
President Aquino for his hospitality and his leadership as host of the APEC Summit.
(Photo by Benhur Arcayan / Malacañang Photo Bureau)