6 8 – present ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁appointment ▁of ▁Pierre ▁Tru de au ▁as ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁in ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁there ▁was ▁some ▁hope ▁that ▁there ▁could ▁now ▁be ▁harm on ious ▁bil ater al ▁relations ▁between ▁Canada ▁and ▁Australia . ▁Tru de au ▁had ▁long ▁been ▁an ▁oppon ent ▁of ▁Canadian ▁foreign ▁policy ▁and ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁attention ▁Canada ▁lav ished ▁on ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Western ▁Europe . ▁He ▁sought ▁to ▁extend ▁Canadian ▁diplom acy ▁beyond ▁its ▁traditional ▁range . ▁Thus , ▁Canada ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁Western ▁powers ▁to ▁recognize ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Republic ▁of ▁China ▁and ▁ins isted ▁that ▁this ▁was ▁only ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁more ▁broad ly ▁based ▁review ▁of ▁Canada ' s ▁approach ▁to ▁the ▁Pacific ▁region . ▁The ▁Australian ▁foreign ▁minister , ▁Paul ▁Has l uck , ▁found ▁Tru de au ' s ▁interest ▁in ▁Asia ▁encourag ing ; ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁officials ▁were ▁c aut iously ▁optim istic ▁that ▁the ▁new ▁government , ▁unlike ▁the ▁old , ▁might ▁em brace ▁the ▁Australian ▁perspective ▁on ▁the ▁cr ises ▁in ▁Asia ▁before ▁proceed ing ▁to ▁recognize ▁China . ▁ ▁Despite ▁ob jections ▁from ▁Australia ▁and ▁other ▁key ▁al lies , ▁Canada ▁recognized ▁China . ▁The ▁war ▁in ▁Vietnam ▁also ▁continued ▁to ▁divide ▁Can ber ra ▁and ▁Ott awa . ▁Thus ▁the ▁Canadian ▁effort ▁to ▁re define ▁its ▁presence ▁in ▁the ▁pac ific ▁continued ▁to ▁run ▁around ▁these ▁central ▁issues ▁with ▁Australia . ▁When ▁Jean - L uc ▁P ep