PACIFIC PERSONA — When government officials convened a briefing call Friday to preview Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU’s Indo-Pacific trip, their sell was that the three-stop tour is a living, breathing display of how Canada Is Back. One senior official told reporters that in the region, “a lot of countries, if they look at the engagement with Canada over the decades, would say we're not always there.” — Eight-year talking point: Trudeau’s Liberals have been in power since 2015, telling Canadians that international trips are to atone for absenteeism on the world stage. — Oh, decades: Canada became “dialogue partner” with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1977, but talks with the organization picked up as Ottawa recently reworked its China-turned-Indo-Pacific policy. The country’s new relationship status with the 10-country bloc means it will match stature with the United States, which established its own strategic partnership with ASEAN in 2015 during the presidency of BARACK OBAMA. The European Union made its strategic partnership with ASEAN official in 2020. — What this means: More ministerial and high-level leaders’ summits. More multilateral pathways for officials and leaders to build key relationships. As a sign of Ottawa’s commitment, Global Affairs Canada Assistant Deputy Minister PAUL THOPPIL has been appointed as the first Canadian Indo-Pacific trade representative, a position promised in last year’s strategy. Trudeau wraps his time in Jakarta today, officially announcing Canada’s ascent as a strategic partner with ASEAN. The prime minister brought up food security as a shared priority during his bilat with Indonesian President JOKO WIDODO, not surprising since the top Canadian export to the country is potassium chloride (fertilizer). — Meanwhile at home: While it’s evening in Indonesia for Trudeau, the Bank of Canada will announce its new rate decision this morning — news that Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE will jump on in a press conference organized with a 19-hour notice to media. — Who else is at ASEAN: International Trade Minister MARY NG is on the ground in Jakarta. So is Independent MP KEVIN VUONG, who is reportedly at ASEAN on his own personal dime. — Power shift: Energy trade was a repeated theme throughout the briefing. Ottawa has been vocal about wanting more investment from Asia — and the senior government official said most of that attention has come from Japan, South Korea and Malaysia. Developed economies, such as Japan and South Korea, are interested in hydrogen and ammonia, they said, referencing both countries’ climate ambitions to wean off coal. — Coal notes: Canada’s top export to both Japan and South Korea (last year and the year to date) is bituminous coal. The value of coal exports to Japan in 2022 exceeded the value of coal exported to China the same year. The government official said the end goal of the trip is for Canada to be seen as a “reliable, high-standard” long-term partner in the Indo-Pacific, a region that is expected to account for 50 percent of the world’s GDP by 2040. One in 5 Canadians also has family ties to the region — something to keep in mind for future federal elections. — What’s next: Trudeau heads next to Singapore, another key hub where Ottawa is trying to increase its presence in the region. The prime minister will travel to New Delhi at the end of the week for the G-20 summit. Chinese President XI JINPING is reportedly bailing on the weekend meetings. Like Ottawa Playbook? Maybe you know others who’d like to start the day with a free rush of intel. Point them to this link where sign up is free . | 
