2023/04/02
MOFA response to Canada-Taiwan relations report issued by Canadian House of Commons Special Committee on Canada-PRC Relationship
The Canadian House of Commons Special Committee on the Canada-People’s Republic of China Relationship published a report entitled Canada and Taiwan: A Strong Relationship in Turbulent Times on March 30. The report covers three areas—Canada’s engagement with Taiwan, Canada’s trade and investment with Taiwan, and peace and security in the region. It highlights the marked difference between Canada’s “one China policy” and the PRC’s “one China principle” and states that Canada will deepen cooperation with Taiwan based on the former’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. The report provides a list of recommendations for enhancing friendly relations between Taiwan and Canada in various domains, including diplomacy, security, the economy and trade, technology, and indigenous affairs. In its conclusion, the report points out that the peaceful status quo across the Taiwan Strait remains precarious, and maintains that it is important for Canada to engage with Taiwan in the face of the PRC’s increased aggression toward Taiwan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) sincerely appreciates and welcomes the report, the concrete recommendations made by Canadian parliamentarians of various parties to strengthen Taiwan-Canada relations, their positive intent to bolster cooperation with Taiwan, and their great regard for security across the Taiwan Strait. Both the Indo-Pacific Strategy recently introduced by the Canadian administration and this report issued by the Canadian Parliament explicitly support advancing relations with Taiwan and oppose Beijing’s expansionist actions that threaten the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. MOFA will actively maintain close communication with the Canadian administrative and legislative branches of government to steadily promote friendly cooperation, continuously elevate bilateral relations, and jointly contribute to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.