The Representative Office in Canada held a Double Ten National Day dinner at noon on October 6, and the atmosphere was warm. Representative in Canada Chen Wenyi said that Taiwan is an “island of perseverance” standing at the forefront of democracy and will never waver. (Courtesy of the Representative Office)
On October 11, the Hill Times published an article by Representative Chen Wenyi of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office calling on Canada to support Taiwan’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), calling it a key step in expanding Canada’s relationship with Taiwan.
He emphasized that Canada and Taiwan have complementary economic and trade structures, and Taiwan is Canada’s 15th largest trading partner worldwide and Canada’s sixth largest trading partner in Asia. As Taiwan-Canada relations continue to move forward, we hope the two countries will further sign the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA), and also ask Canada to support Taiwan’s accession to the CPTPP, a move that will not only continue to deepen bilateral economic and trade relations, but also This will not only continue to deepen bilateral economic and trade relations, but also help promote stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
This year, the Canadian government has again publicly expressed its support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the World Health Organization, and Canadian members of Parliament have joined the Formosa Club, a transnational parliamentary group of friends of Taiwan in the European region. ‘ to assist in being a voice for Taiwan internationally.”
The article said that in the past two years, countries around the world have faced serious challenges due to the impact of the epidemic, and the epidemic in Taiwan also suddenly turned serious in mid-May this year, with the number of confirmed cases once reaching 723 on a single day, but fortunately, the government of the Republic of China was the first to closely deploy relevant preventive measures, and with the cooperation of all the people of the country, the number of confirmed cases per day dropped to single digits in August, and repeatedly obtained zero confirmed cases in Taiwan.
Taiwan’s economic performance also shone due to the stable epidemic in Taiwan, with an economic growth rate of 8.34% and a trade surplus of US$31.8 billion in the first half of this year. The best way to combat the epidemic is to demonstrate to the world Taiwan’s high standards of civic self-discipline and public health, as well as democratic and transparent governance.
In the article, Chen said that as the global epidemic continues to spread, authoritarian countries are attempting to reshape the international order based on rules. “Freedom House warned months ago that global freedoms are being eroded and authoritarian regimes are becoming more aggressive. This can be seen through the challenges Taiwan faces, including military intimidation, economic coercion, cognitive warfare, and other interventionist tactics; the current threats posed by authoritarian states, including banning the importation of Taiwan’s pineapples, shakshuka, and lotus, using the Internet and social media platforms to spread false information, and attacking the government of the Republic of China on issues such as epidemics and vaccine access in an attempt to create divisions within Taiwanese society. Similar situations are occurring in Canada and many other countries around the world.
He said, “Not only are the various acts of repression and interference by authoritarian regimes completely irrational and never successful, Taiwan is capable and determined enough to defend its democratic way of life, and as the people of Taiwan have proven time and time again, Taiwan is a resilient island at the forefront of democracy that will never falter.”
In his article, he thanked the international community for its concern and support for Taiwan. He concluded, “As we celebrate the 110th National Day of the Republic of China (Taiwan) on October 10, I sincerely believe that Taiwan and Canada share the same values and common interests in defending a rules-based international order, based on which the future of Taiwan-Canada relations is promising and a more friendly and close friendship is in the near future. ”
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