President You meets eight-member delegation led by Taiwan-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group Chair Judy Sgro

You Si-kun: I look forward to the deepening of relations between our two countries so that we can together safeguard freedom and democracy

Legislative Yuan President You Si-kun today met with an eight-member delegation led by Judy Sgro, chair of both the Taiwan-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group and the Standing Committee on International Trade. President You was accompanied by Taiwanese lawmakers Chen Ting-fei, Chung Chia-pin, Chiu Chih-wei, Huang Shih-chieh, Chen I-hsin, Chiu Chen-yuan, Chen Jiau-hua, Secretary General Lin Jih-jia, and Consultant Chou Ya-shu. The Canadian cross-party Canada included members of parliament Angelo Iacono, Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Richard Martel, and Chris Lewis. Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister Tsai Ming-yen and Deputy Director Gregoire Legault of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei were also at the meeting.

After President You’s remarks (see full translation below), Chair Sgro said she was grateful for the opportunity to visit Taiwan and the Legislative Yuan. On behalf of her delegation, she thanked Taiwan for the assistance it had provided Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. She noted that, due to the pandemic, all previous exchanges had taken place as virtual meetings, and that she was pleased to finally meet President You and Taiwanese legislators in person. She said the key purpose of her delegation’s visit was “to show up at the side of a friend in danger” and promised that the Canadian parliament would continue to pass resolutions in support of Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations and events. She said that Taiwan was hugely significant as a symbol of freedom and democracy, and that she looked forward to Taiwan and Canada working closely together to further economic and trade ties.

Next, Legislator Chen I-hsin took to the floor. He began by conveying greetings from KMT Chairman Eric Chu and former president Ma Ying-jeou. He also thanked Chair Sgro for supporting Taiwan and for speaking up for the Taiwanese people. He then went on to talk about his visit to Canada this summer, during which he fell in love with the country once more. He said he also discovered how good Canadian whisky was—and recommended that delegation members take the opportunity to try the local Kavalan whisky during their visit to Ilan!

Legislator Chiu Chen-yuan then thanked Canada for supporting Taiwan’s participation in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). He stated that, as a result of the US-China trade war of recent years, Taiwanese businesses had started to shift trade links to other Asian countries so as to reduce their dependence on China. He said that Taiwan’s supply chain was also slowly shifting away from China and that the Legislative Yuan was ready to align itself with the CPTTP regulations. He once again thanked Canada for supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and events.

Legislator Chen Jiau-hua spoke next. She welcomed the delegation to the Legislative Yuan and said that Taiwan and Canada are both democracy-loving countries that share the universal values of democracy and freedom. She thanked the Canadian parliament for supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and said she looked forward to visiting Canada for further exchanges once the pandemic had subsided.

Next, Legislator Chung Chia-pin explained how he and other legislators had just visited Canada. He regretted that, due to a flight change, he had not been able to meet with Chair Sgro during his visit, but said he was delighted to now have the chance to meet with Chair Sgro and other members of the Standing Committee on International Trade. He emphasized that Taiwan was fully prepared to reduce its trade reliance on China by replacing it with the international market. He also said that he believed in democratic and peaceful dispute resolution.

Finally, Legislator Chen Ting-fei explained how the establishment of the newly founded Taiwan-Canada Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association had been delayed due to the pandemic. She said that, thanks to an invitation from Chair Sgro and other Canadian members of parliament, the association was planning a joint visit to Canada with Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government agencies. She said she looked forward to meeting with delegation members again soon in Canada and underscored the importance of the CPTPP to Taiwan’s economy. She finished by thanking the delegation once more for speaking up on behalf of Taiwan.

The two sides went on to exchange views on issues relating to economics, trade, education, and international politics. The meeting concluded at 3:45 p.m. after tokens of friendship were exchanged and group photos taken.

A translation of President You’s remarks is as follows:

Honorable Judy Sgro, Chair of the Taiwan-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group and Chair of the Standing Committee on International Trade, and Mr. Sgro; Canadian members of parliament Angelo Iacono, Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Chris Lewis, and Mrs. Lewis; Ms. Anna Lachykhina; legislators Chen Ting-fei, Chung Chia-Pin, Chiu Chih-wei, Huang Shih-chieh, and Chen I-Hsin; Taiwan People’s Party Caucus Convener Chiu Chen-yuan; legislators Chen Jiau-hua and Chiu Chih-wei; Deputy Foreign Minister Tsai Ming-yen; Deputy Director Gregoire Legault of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei; Secretary General Lin Jih-jia; Consultant Chou Ya-shu; dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen:

Good afternoon!

I warmly welcome Chair Sgro and other members of the Canadian Parliament to Taiwan. Today is the first time I have received a delegation of Canadian parliamentarians in my capacity as president of the Legislative Yuan. You are also the first parliamentary delegation from Canada to visit Taiwan since the COVID-19 outbreak more than two years ago. As such, your visit holds great significance. On behalf of Taiwan’s legislature, I welcome our friends from afar!

First of all, I want to pay special thanks to Chair Sgro and the Canadian Parliament for their long-term support of greater international participation for Taiwan. This year, the Canadian House of Commons standing committees on health, transport and foreign affairs all passed motions to support Taiwan joining the World Health Assembly (WHA) and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). For three consecutive years, Prime Minister Trudeau has publicly expressed his support in parliament for Taiwan’s participation in the WHA. On behalf of Taiwan’s legislature, I wish to express my gratitude to the Canadian Parliament and administration.

Prime Minister Trudeau is well aware of China’s wolf-warrior diplomacy and hegemonic rise. He has publicly called on like-minded countries around the world to be united in the face of China’s attempts to sow division. China has for a long time now repressed Taiwan’s international space, as well as intervening in the domestic affairs of other countries. Former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and Canadian businessman Michael Spavor were detained by China for more than one thousand days. “Domestic repression and coercive diplomacy” have become the new norms for China since its hegemonic rise.

More recently, China has repeatedly cited the Cairo Declaration and Potsdam Declaration to bolster its claim that “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China.” I must stress that these two declarations voiced the intentions of the Allies of World War II. After the war, the Treaty of San Francisco—signed by 49 countries on April 28, 1952—formed the international legal framework covering the status of Taiwan. Article 2 of the treaty states that: “Japan renounces all right, title, and claim to Formosa, the Pescadores, the Spratly Islands and the Paracel Islands.” It does not mention Taiwan’s sovereignty. In accordance with the principle that “sovereignty belongs to the people” and the principle of “self-determination of peoples” inscribed in the UN Charter, Taiwan has since become an independent sovereign nation. Therefore, according to international law, Taiwan and the Pescadores do not belong to China. Taiwan and China are not subject to one another. Taiwan is not by any means part of China. That Taiwan and China are each their own country is a fact set in stone.

This year celebrates the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Dr. George Leslie Mackay to Taiwan. In March 1872, Dr. Mackay introduced modern medicine to Taiwan, gradually corrected local medical methods, established Presbyterian churches, and founded hospitals and schools. The MacKay Memorial Hospital now has five branches in Taiwan and has nurtured numerous healthcare workers and saved countless lives. Dr. Mackay made tremendous contributions to Taiwan, and he and his family have devoted themselves to Taiwan for four generations. I would therefore like to thank Canada for gifting Taiwan with such a treasure.