Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen speaks at a ceremony to mark the island's National Day in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei on October 10, 2022. (Sam Yeh / AFP via Getty Images)
The parliamentary Canada-China relations committee (CACN) is urging the government to bolster its support for Taiwan in the face of an increasingly aggressive Beijing.
Tabled in the House on March 30, CACN’s latest report offers 18 recommendations regarding Taiwan, including rejecting the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) attempts to coerce countries like Canada to consider Taiwan as part of its territory. It also urged Canada to join its allies’ security agreements—such as the trilateral AUKUS and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue—in order to bolster Canada’s presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
The report “Canada and Taiwan: A Strong Relationship in Turbulent Times,” draws attention to the differences between Beijing’s “one China principle,” which regards Taiwan as a province that should be reunited with the mainland, and Canada’s “one China policy,” which stays neutral on the issue but doesn’t endorse Beijing’s views.
The CCP seeks universal recognition of its one China principle through efforts including opposing visits by foreign government officials to Taiwan, and incorporating language supporting its views into international documents, the report said.
The report also recommends that Canadian institutions keep in line with Canada’s official stance on Taiwan and “be careful to not inadvertently endorse the PRC government’s position” on the island nation.
Such endorsements of Beijing can be found in “even the little things,” including in dropdown menus on Canadian government websites with the wording “Taiwan—Province of China,” according to Scott Simon, professor at the University of Ottawa, who testified at CACN on Nov. 1, 2022.
“When China coerces Canada to marginalize Taiwan, it is also a violation of our sovereignty,” he told the committee.
Weldon Epp, director general of North East Asia at Global Affairs Canada, also raised concerns related to hostile actions by Beijing, pointing to its economic coercion and stifling of Taiwan’s international presence. Beijing has ramped up threats against Taiwan over the past few months, particularly following former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island last fall.
“We are deeply concerned with actions being taken by the Chinese side, which are adding both pressure and tension to the region and potentially being seen as a dress rehearsal for future actions,” Epp told the Canada-China committee on Feb. 14, 2022, noting that Beijing has never ruled out using military intervention to annex Taiwan by force.
Chinese military helicopters fly past Pingtan island, one of mainland China's closest points from Taiwan, in Fujian province, ahead of military drills off Taiwan, on Aug. 4, 2022. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)
The report said witnesses to the committee have highlighted the value of parliamentary visits to Taiwan, such as the visit initiated by MPs from the Canada-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group last October. The report encouraged further visits of parliamentary delegations between Canada and Taiwan while urging Ottawa to “strongly consider the benefits of diplomatic visits” by federal ministers.
Among other key priorities, the report recommended the inclusion of Taiwan in multilateral organizations such as prioritizing the assessment of Taiwan’s application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for TransPacific Partnership. It also pushed for a stronger bilateral trade relationship with Taiwan, urging the government to enter into formal negotiations for a Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement, which Ottawa has been exploring since early 2022.
“It is important to demonstrate our support for Taiwan during these turbulent times. This interim report outlines ways for Canada to support the peaceful status quo by increasing its engagement with Taiwan under Canada’s one China policy,” said Ken Hardie, Liberal MP and committee chair, in a March 30 release.
