Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi urged Canada to accelerate negotiations on a trade agreement to enhance bilateral economic and trade cooperation and establish a robust, forward-looking economic partnership.
Chen made the remarks during an interview with Philippe Leblanc of Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Jan. 13 in Taipei City for an online broadcast and article published Jan. 14.
According to the article, Taiwan is Canada’s sixth-largest trading partner in Asia and 15th-largest trading partner in the world. The two sides have already reached consensus on a trade agreement covering key industries such as green energy, medical care and technology that is in line with Canada’s policy goal of reducing reliance on a single market stated in its Indo-Pacific Strategy, though the pact has not been signed yet.
The deputy foreign minister stressed that Taiwan-Canada ties are based on a solid foundation of economic and trade collaboration. Taiwan understands Canada’s prudent attitude under current international circumstances and respects the right of each country to choose its partners, he said, emphasizing that all stakeholders should cautiously assess the risks of overreliance on a single market and that China has long leveraged diplomacy and trade to exert political influence.
Taiwan and Canada share the values of freedom, democracy and respect for human rights, Chen said. Taiwan is committed to working pragmatically with like-minded partners to safeguard the rules-based international economic and trade order and regional stability, he added. (YCH-E)
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