The parliamentary Canada-China relations committee (CACN) is urging the federal government to bolster its assist for Taiwan within the face of an more and more aggressive Beijing.
Tabled within the Home on March 30, CACN’s newest report affords 18 suggestions concerning Taiwan, together with rejecting the Chinese language Communist Occasion’s (CCP) makes an attempt to coerce international locations like Canada to think about Taiwan as a part of its territory. It additionally urged Canada to hitch its allies’ safety agreements—such because the trilateral AUKUS and the Quadrilateral Safety Dialogue—to be able to bolster Canada’s presence within the Indo-Pacific area.
The report “Canada and Taiwan: A Sturdy Relationship in Turbulent Occasions,” attracts consideration to the variations between Beijing’s “one China precept,” which regards Taiwan as a province that needs to be reunited with the mainland, and Canada’s “one China coverage,” which stays impartial on the difficulty however doesn’t endorse Beijing’s views.
The CCP seeks common recognition of its one China precept by way of efforts together with opposing visits by international authorities officers to Taiwan, and incorporating language supporting its views into worldwide paperwork, the report mentioned.
The report additionally recommends that Canadian establishments maintain according to Canada’s official stance on Taiwan and “watch out to not inadvertently endorse the PRC authorities’s place” on the island nation.
Such endorsements of Beijing might be present in “even the little issues,” together with in dropdown menus on Canadian authorities web sites with the wording “Taiwan—Province of China,” in response to Scott Simon, professor on the College of Ottawa, who testified at CACN on Nov. 1, 2022.
“When China coerces Canada to marginalize Taiwan, it is usually a violation of our sovereignty,” he advised the committee.
Weldon Epp, director normal of North East Asia at International Affairs Canada, additionally raised issues associated to hostile actions by Beijing, pointing to its financial coercion and stifling of Taiwan’s worldwide presence. Beijing has ramped up threats in opposition to Taiwan over the previous few months, significantly following former U.S. Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s go to to the island final fall.
“We’re deeply involved with actions being taken by the Chinese language aspect, that are including each strain and pressure to the area and probably being seen as a gown rehearsal for future actions,” Epp advised the Canada-China committee on Feb. 14, 2022, noting that Beijing has by no means dominated out utilizing navy intervention to annex Taiwan by power.
The report mentioned witnesses to the committee have highlighted the worth of parliamentary visits to Taiwan, such because the go to initiated by MPs from the Canada-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group final October. The report inspired additional visits of parliamentary delegations between Canada and Taiwan whereas urging Ottawa to “strongly take into account the advantages of diplomatic visits” by federal ministers.
Amongst different key priorities, the report really useful the inclusion of Taiwan in multilateral organizations resembling prioritizing the evaluation of Taiwan’s utility to hitch the Complete and Progressive Settlement for TransPacific Partnership. It additionally pushed for a stronger bilateral commerce relationship with Taiwan, urging the federal government to enter into formal negotiations for a International Funding Promotion and Safety Settlement, which Ottawa has been exploring since early 2022.
“You will need to show our assist for Taiwan throughout these turbulent occasions. This interim report outlines methods for Canada to assist the peaceable establishment by rising its engagement with Taiwan below Canada’s one China coverage,” mentioned Ken Hardie, Liberal MP and committee chair, in a March 30 launch.
