Canadian MPs arrive in Taiwan in latest show of Western support after Tsai’s U.S. trip – National
A delegation of Canadian parliamentarians has arrived in Taiwan for a multi-day visit, showing the latest evidence of Western support for the island following the Taiwanese president’s visit to the United States last week.
The delegation’s arrival also comes after China has completed three days of extensive combat training near Taiwan, which involves blockading the democratically ruled island.
The multiparty delegation will be led by Liberal Rep. John McKay, who chairs the House Standing Committee on Defense, according to a statement from his office announcing the group’s arrival on Monday.
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The Commission’s Vice-Chairman, Conservative MP James Bezhan, is also a member of the Select Committee on Canada-China Relations, and the Foreign Affairs Commission’s Vice-Chairman, Brock-Quebec MP Stephane Bergeron, is also a member of this group. is. Overall, the group consists of his three Liberal MPs, four Conservative MPs, two of his NDP MPs, and Bergeron as the bloc’s sole representative.
The delegation landed in Taipei on Sunday and will be there until April 15, McKay’s office said.
The Canadian Trade Bureau in Taipei said: Facebook post The group will meet with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice President Lai Chin-te, business representatives and local non-governmental organizations.
The Canadian’s arrival comes a day after Tsai met with a delegation of US lawmakers in Taiwan over the weekend.
That visit took place after Tsai returned from a trip to the United States and culminated in a bilateral meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.
Tsai’s overseas visit, framed as a sensitive mission to strengthen Taiwan’s fading diplomatic alliance in Central America and boost U.S. support, angered China and sparked three days of military exercises around the island. .
The exercise was similar to the one China conducted in August last year, when it launched missile attacks on targets in the waters surrounding Taiwan in retaliation for then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. It was less.
Canada sent a delegation of parliamentarians to Taiwan in October last year, but it said the visit “blatantly violated the one-China principle” and accused China of “grossly interfering” in its domestic affairs. provoked a hostile reaction from the government.
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The Chinese embassy in Canada did not respond to a request for comment on the latest delegation on Monday.
Canada says it respects its “One China Policy,” which denies Taiwan’s sovereignty from China, but Taiwan still enjoys trade ties and bilateral cooperation with Ottawa.
Taiwan is included in Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy announced late last year, which seeks to deepen economic ties with most countries in the region while moving away from China’s dependence on trade and investment.
February, International Trade Minister Mary Ng announced She and Taiwan’s trade representative John Deng agreed to begin formal negotiations on a trade agreement to boost trade and investment.
Taiwan is also a major manufacturer of semiconductor chips that have become important to the technology and telecommunications industries, and Canada seeks deeper cooperation on investments and contracts.
— with files from The Associated Press
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