PM Carney takes off Wednesday for summits in Ireland, Philippines, Cambodia and China

Summary

• Prime Minister Mark Carney departs Ottawa on Wednesday for summits in Ireland, the Philippines, Cambodia, and China to advance trade & security ties.
• He will attend the European Political Community summit in Dublin on Nov. 12 as the only non-European representative, while discussing potential associate membership with the EU.
• Carney will visit Manila for the ASEAN summit from Nov. 15–18 to finalize trade deals with the bloc & the Philippines, meeting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. & addressing leaders.
• The Philippines delegation includes Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu & Gender Minister Rechie Valdez to support Canada's Indo-Pacific strategy.
• He will attend the Francophonie summit in Cambodia from Nov. 14–16 to promote strategic autonomy & the French language in the digital economy while Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon also attends.
• Canada is set to host the next Francophonie summit in 2028 in the Ottawa area.
• Carney concludes his trip in Shenzhen, China, for the APEC summit from Nov. 18–19, where he will meet President Xi Jinping & address business leaders.
• The APEC summit features meetings between U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, & Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• Carney's visit follows recent Chinese market access deals for Canadian canola meal & lobster in exchange for steel & aluminum access.
• The federal Liberals argue the trip diversifies trade & builds resilient supply chains, while Conservatives criticize the deals for lacking significant gains & distracting from the affordability crisis.
• Carney is scheduled to return to Ottawa on Nov. 19.