OTTAWA—Canada is launching free-trade talks with a major group of southeast Asian countries as it seeks to diversify from China and find new ways of coping with a snarled global supply chain. International Trade Minister Mary Ng announced the opening of formal trade talks late Tuesday with the Association of South East Asian Nations—known as ASEAN—after meeting with representatives of that 10−country bloc. Ng heralded the opening of the talks as a significant milestone in deepening Canada’s economic relations with the Indo-Pacific region and driving economic growth as the world copes with supply−chain bottlenecks that have plagued global trade during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three weeks ago, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a business forum that pursuing a trade deal with ASEAN countries would be a “win-win” that would be key to driving Canada’s growth as it emerges from the pandemic. “Our government is committed to opening up and diversifying more …