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Justin Trudeau heads to San Francisco for APEC summit

Click to play video: 'APEC 2023: Will Canada be left on the outside looking in?'
APEC 2023: Will Canada be left on the outside looking in?
WATCH ABOVE: Canada’s agenda at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum is expected to face some headwinds over the next couple of days, due to its ongoing tense relationship with India and China, according to experts. Global's David Akin has more – Nov 15, 2023

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is headed to California for three days of meetings at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in San Francisco.

Trudeau will meet Wednesday with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, long a liberal-minded ally in the effort to combat climate change.

Officials say he’ll attend an APEC reception later in the day hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden before a welcome dinner with tech leaders.

Click to play video: 'Trudeau defends taking lunch with Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman at APEC summit'
Trudeau defends taking lunch with Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman at APEC summit

Biden sits down Wednesday with Chinese President Xi Jinping in an effort to defuse a year of international tensions, a meeting widely seen as the focal point of the summit.

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Reports suggest the two leaders are working on a deal to resume bilateral military communications and keeping artificial intelligence out of their respective nuclear defence systems.

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Trudeau, meanwhile, will be aiming for tangible progress on policy priorities in the Indo-Pacific, during bilateral meetings with fellow APEC leaders.

Click to play video: 'Canada to open agricultural office in Indo-Pacific region: Trudeau'
Canada to open agricultural office in Indo-Pacific region: Trudeau

Federal officials say at least two bilateral economic initiatives with key Indo-Pacific partners will be on Canada’s “deliverables” list.

The absence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also makes it unlikely there will be much drama surrounding Trudeau’s allegations of a link between agents of India’s government and the June shooting death of a prominent Sikh leader in B.C.

“Modi is not there, so India is not there,” said Andreas Schotter, an associate business professor at Western University.

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“It’s been reported as giving the prime minister a chance to avoid the discussion about the issue, but I don’t think it’s a good thing. I think a meeting would have been better than avoiding it.”

There’s still plenty of important work for Canada to do at APEC, officials say: It’s vital to be at the table in a part of the world where the decisions that are made are likely to affect Canadians for generations.

Click to play video: 'Xi confrontation remains in spotlight as Trudeau heads to Thailand for APEC'
Xi confrontation remains in spotlight as Trudeau heads to Thailand for APEC

The main goals for Trudeau include deeper collaboration with APEC nations that will foster middle-class growth and healthy regional competition, all with an eye toward advancing the fight against climate change.

Officials say Trudeau will promote new Canadian efforts to foster more efficient food production and healthier supply chains, as well as removing trade barriers with countries in the Pacific Rim.

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The region accounts for about half of the world’s merchandise trade, and is the destination for more than 88 per cent of Canadian exports. APEC’s merchandise exports and imports alike now both exceed US$12 trillion annually.

Canada’s share of that pie reached $1.3 trillion last year, an increase of 22 per cent, thanks to partners that include the U.S., China, Mexico, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam.

The summit comes one year after the Liberal government launched a new $2.3-billion Indo-Pacific strategy aimed at fortifying regional alliances as a hedge against China’s expansive power.

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