Beijing Objects to Vancouver’s Plan to Form Partnership With Taiwanese City

An aerial view shows Spring and Autumn pavilions at the Lotus pond in Zuoying District in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on Oct. 16, 2020. Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images

Beijing is objecting to the City of Vancouver’s plan to form a special relationship with the City of Kaohsiung in Taiwan, as the communist regime continues to isolate the democratic island nation on the international stage. 

In September, Vancouver City Council adopted a motion proposed by Mayor Kennedy Stewart to form a Friendship City Program, a less expensive option for fostering ties with foreign municipalities than the traditional Sister Cities International program.

Stewart later approached members of the Taiwanese community in Vancouver, who recommended the City of Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan.