VANCOUVER, July 4 -- Canada's trade pivot away from the United States is more ambition than architecture. On Thursday, Mark Carney added the first concrete piece of Southeast Asian structure to it, announcing a Strategic Partnership with the Philippines, launching bilateral free trade negotiations targeting completion by December, and committing to joint maritime defence exercises that would be the first of their kind between the two militaries.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. departed Vancouver after a four-day state visit that produced more binding bilateral machinery than any Canada-Philippines summit in recent memory. Wednesday's signing session included the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement, a Mutual Logistics Support Ar...