Ottawa — Secretary of State Mélanie Joly advises Canadian companies not to deepen ties with China as Ottawa’s long-awaited Indo-Pacific strategy is expected to be unveiled within a month.

Speaking in Toronto Wednesday morning, Joly said Canada wants to deepen its ties with more democratic and reliable countries in the region, such as India.

“The tectonic plates of global power structures are shifting,” Ms. Joly said in a speech at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs. Canada should be clear about how we intend not just to engage, but to lead.”

Canada’s Foreign Service Group will be tasked with training more experts on China affairs and placing them in “important embassies” around the world. “This will become the focus of our diplomatic efforts,” Ms Joly said.

The minister argued that China is increasingly deviating from Canadian values ​​and companies doing business there face risks of political interference and violations of trade rules. “China is an increasingly disruptive global power,” Ms. Joly said.

Canada, she said, can work with China on issues like climate change and will continue to engage with that country, but Ottawa has serious concerns that Beijing will undermine security, trade and peace in the country.

“Canada will not apologize for its national interests. We will not apologize for trying to enforce the global rules that govern international trade and human rights around the world,” she said.

This stance is based in particular on “credible reports of human rights abuses and crimes against humanity” in the Xinjiang region against the Uyghur Muslim minority.

Ms. Joly also spoke about Canada’s current military presence in the region. She suggested that more focus could be placed on containing China’s maritime borders and deterring an invasion of Taiwan by Beijing.

Hardening after “the two Michaels”

The remarks mark a major turning point for liberals, who normally try to avoid hostile rhetoric towards Beijing, as China arbitrarily jailed Canadian nationals Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig for nearly three years.

“What I want to say to Canadians doing business in and with China: Be clear,” Ms. Joly said, highlighting “the geopolitical risks of doing business with this country.”

The speech, sponsored by the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada, a government think tank, points to increased federal spending on diplomatic missions.

“We must both deepen our existing friendships and seek new allies,” Ms Joly said, naming India. We need to sit at the table, step up our game and increase our influence.”

Joly also said on Wednesday that the Canadian government’s Indo-Pacific strategy would be unveiled within a month. Business leaders and former diplomats have been urging Ottawa to develop such a strategy for that part of the world, which liberals have repeatedly promised in recent years.

Ms. Joly presented five key goals of this strategy on Wednesday: peace, supply chain resilience, human and women’s rights, climate change and strengthening Canada’s presence in the world.

Ms Joly will accompany Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on an official trip to the region with summits in Cambodia and Indonesia starting Thursday, but she will not make the trip to Thailand.