On the afternoon of Mach 28, President Daniel K.Y. Han of the Legislative Yuan received a courtesy call from Canadian Representative to Taiwan- Executive Director Jim Nickel, along with four members of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei. The President was accompanied by Legislators Hsu Chiao-hsin, Chuang Jui-hsiung, Chang Chi-kai; Secretary-General Chou Chester W.L.; International Affairs Department Director Kevin C.F. Lin
President Han first extended a sincere welcome to the visiting guests, followed by group photos of the attending legislators and distinguished guests, before engaging in bilateral talks. President Han stated that the people in Taiwan have a good impression of Canada, which boasts a vast territory, beautiful scenery, and a fortune of resources, coupled with Canadian people known for their kindness and simplicity with a childlike heart. Taiwan and Canada have close ties as key trading partners to each other. The Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) between the two nations was signed on in 2023, with the trade volume exceeding 12 billion Canadian dollars. As Canada chairs the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Commission in 2024, it is hoped that the Canadian Government could support Taiwan’s accession to the CPTPP and convey such bid to other member states, so that we could all contribute to the progress and prosperity in the trans-Pacific region.
President Han first extended a sincere welcome to the visiting guests, followed by group photos of the attending legislators and distinguished guests, before engaging in bilateral talks. President Han stated that the people in Taiwan have a good impression of Canada, which boasts a vast territory, beautiful scenery, and a fortune of resources, coupled with Canadian people known for their kindness and simplicity with a childlike heart. Taiwan and Canada have close ties as key trading partners to each other. The Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) between the two nations was signed on in 2023, with the trade volume exceeding 12 billion Canadian dollars. As Canada chairs the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Commission in 2024, it is hoped that the Canadian Government could support Taiwan’s accession to the CPTPP and convey such bid to other member states, so that we could all contribute to the progress and prosperity in the trans-Pacific region.
In his remarks, Executive Director Nickel first thanked President Han and the attending cross-party legislators for taking the time to receive him and members of the Canadian Trade Office, followed by congratulating President Han for taking the office at the Legislative Yuan. Executive Director Nickel stated that when he was assigned to Taiwan a year and a half ago, it was also his first time serving in Taiwan. He is deeply impressed by the warm, open, and diverse society of Taiwan and convinced that Taiwan is a livable place. Taiwan and Canada, based on shared values in democracy, have a long history of friendship, with not only people-to-people exchanges with a solid foundation for decades, but also collaborations in various fields that have become more frequent and dynamic. In recent years, the two nations have made rapid progress in trade, technology, and investment; it is hoped that through the signed FIPA, more entrepreneurs from Taiwan could visit Canada for investments, and vice versa. In addition, Canada authorities are now working with Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) on the details of signing the Collaborative Framework on Supply Chain Resilience. Executive Director Nickel expressed his hope to see these agreements in place and pointed out that Taiwan boasts a dynamic capitalist economy with highly developed free markets. Canada would very much like to see Taiwan’s bid to join the CPTPP, and it is expected that Taiwan’s participation will facilitate regional trade activities that are free, fair, and rules-based.Executive Director Nickel continued to express that Taiwan and Canada also have great room for collaborations in areas related to civil society, resilient development, critical infrastructure, and external factors that may harm democracy such as misinformation/disinformation and cyber-attacks. There have also been frequent exchanges in cultural events and education programs between the two nations. During his 18-month service in Taiwan, the Canadian Trade Office has held 28 cultural and artistic events in multiple cities throughout Taiwan, which allows people to learn more about Canadian culture. They also look forward to Taiwanese delegations and representatives visiting Canada to promote Taiwanese culture and to give Canadian people a better understanding of Taiwan. In closing, Executive Director Nickel touched on the large indigenous population, another feature that Taiwan and Canada have in common, and invited President Han and members of the Legislative Yuan to attend the 2024 World Indigenous Tourism Summit to be held in Kaohsiung on April 16. At the grant event, there would be indigenous representatives from Canada and delegations of industries working with indigenous affairs. It is hoped that the two nations would work together to promote the rights and interests of indigenous peoples with future prosperity and long-term development.
In response, President Han expressed his gratitude to Executive Director Nickel for acknowledging Taiwan regardless of straight factors such as market size, land area, population, and GDP, which most countries take into account first, when it comes to making foreign policy decisions, especially when Taiwan, compared with China as a superpower based on these factors alone, is more often neglected or excluded. That being the case, there are 50 million overseas Chinese around the world, and most of them bear the Republic of China (Taiwan) in their mind. Referencing the tale of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp from the Book of One Thousand and One Nights, President Han compared Taiwan to the small ring in the story for summoning the mighty genie; in other words, Taiwan’s charm is far-reaching despite its small country size. It is hoped that countries around the world could tap into Taiwan’s potential and advantages by working with it to boost development and to achieve prosperity.During the exchange of ideas from both sides, Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin mentioned Canada’s soft power in advantages with innovation and resources, while Taiwan is known for its leading industries in manufacturing hardware, equipment, as well as parts and components. With the two strengths complementing each other for economic development, there will be high hopes for continued and deepened partnerships based on the shared universal values. Legislator Chuang Jui-hsiung also shared his deep impression on Canada’s national parks and urban planning. He thanked Canada for signing a joint statement with the United States, Japan, and European countries after the 2023 G7 Summit (Summit of Major Industrialized Nations) to reaffirm the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Legislator Chuang expressed hope that Canada would continue to support Taiwan, so that Taiwan and CPTPP member states could thrive and achieve prosperity together. Legislator Chang Chi-kai acknowledged the fruitful exchanges between Taiwan and Canada and promised to spare no effort in increasing bilateral parliamentary exchanges under the leadership of President Han.
The event concluded after 50 minutes in warmth and joy, with the exchange of tokens of appreciation.
