Canada through the eyes of Southeast Asia: positive perceptions, shallow understandings

Abstract

ABSTRACT As Canada looks to deepen its ties with Southeast Asia, it needs to gain public support from the region. But how do ordinary Southeast Asians view Canada? Using original survey data from social media users in seven Southeast Asian countries, I find that Southeast Asians generally have a positive impression of Canada. However, they do not have a clear understanding of Canada, or of its current and potential engagement in Southeast Asia. There are also significant variations in perceptions of Canada from country to country, which may be correlated to the degree of democratic development in each country. These findings have implications for the implementation of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. First, Southeast Asians’ favorable disposition towards Canada is encouraging. It suggests that Southeast Asians are receptive to fostering closer ties with Canada. Second, the cross-national variation indicates that engagements with individual Southeast Asian countries, including public diplomacy efforts, can and should be tailored accordingly, as opposed to untargeted regional engagement.