To win over Asia, Canada needs more than nice speeches

CANADA is on a public-relations roll. Prime Minister Mark Carney wowed Davos elites by declaring a “rupture” with the American-led financial and industrial system that has prevailed for decades. 

That’s a message that resonates in Asia, where economies grew rapidly by supplying an abundance of goods to American consumers, only to be confronted with tariffs that were scarcely conceivable a few years ago.   

Ottawa is stepping up its courtship of the region. The campaign was readily apparent in Singapore last week with a conference devoted to stronger ties with South-east Asia.