President Chen Shui-bian thanked the Canadian parliament for long supporting Taiwan's bid to participate in the World Health Assembly and promoting the legislation of a Taiwan Affairs Act when meeting with a group of Canadian parliamentary members on May 22 at the Office of the President.
However, the president said that unfortunately the legislation of the Taiwan Affairs Act has been suspended due to the dismissal of the Canadian parliament.
During the meeting, the president told his guests that this year marked Taiwan's tenth knocking on the World Health Organization (WHO) door, and, thanks to the support from Canada, the United States, the European Union, and Japan, Taiwan has been allowed to participate in some of WHO's technical meetings in recent years. However, the president said that Taiwan still looks forward to having a more meaningful and holistic participation in the WHO.
On the issue of Taiwan's current ban on Canadian beef imports, the president reassured his guests that his administration will continue to do its best to find solutions on the basis of professional and evidence-based food examinations and tests.
The Canadian guests included Members of Parliament Barry Devolin, Terry Mercer, Bill Matthews, Diane Bourgeois, Daryl Kramp, and Andres Scheer, and their visit to the Office of the President was accompanied by Taiwan's Vice Foreign Minister Chang Siao-yueh.