Trudeau heads to Southeast Asia as Israel-Hamas war promises to overshadow trade talks [Video]

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau heads to Laos this week to advance trade and political ties in the region as violence in the Middle East dominates public opinion in Southeast Asia.

Vina Nadjibulla, vice-president of research and strategy for the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, said Canada and other western nations have taken a “reputational hit” in Muslim-majority countries — including Indonesia and Malaysia, where public opinion tends to support the Palestinian side and oppose Israel.

Trudeau has a chance at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit from Oct. 10-11 to counter claims western countries are indifferent to the “suffering in Gaza,” Nadjibulla said.

“What’s important is to remind everyone that we care about human rights, we care about resolving conflicts everywhere in the world, not just in certain locations, in order to be able to counter this charge of hypocrisy,” Nadjibulla said. 

Claims that the nations of the …