The Free and Open Indo-Pacific concept has emerged over the last several years as one of the most prominent organizing concepts within the Asia Pacific. Countries including Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, and multilateral organizations including ASEAN, have articulated similar, although slightly differing, interpretations of FOIP.

On January 22nd and 23rd, 2020, the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada), with government and corporate support, held a conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, to discuss various interpretations of the FOIP concept with academics, policy-makers, and the wider Canadian public. Experts from Canada, the United States, Europe, and from across Asia came together to discuss issues around FOIP’s governance, economics, and security pillars, as well as FOIP’s applicability to Canada.

The discussions were wide ranging and informative and brought together some of the leading experts on the FOIP concept. This conference summary report first outlines the major points of discussion then concludes with general policy guidance for Canadian policy-makers.