President Chen Shui-bian on January 15 met with a delegation of Members of Parliament from Canada, and extended his welcome and appreciation to the group on behalf of the ROC (Taiwan) government and people.
President Chen said that the delegation is comprised of representatives from Canada's major political parties as well as senior MPs, whose broad-based support for Taiwan transcends party boundaries. The leader of the delegation is the present chair of the House of Commons' Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, while many members of the visiting group as part of the Canada-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group. President Chen expressed his appreciation to members of the group for their long-term support for Taiwan.
The president also expressed his gratitude to the Canadian government for expressing its concern and opposition to the so-called "Anti-secession Law" passed by China's National People's Congress, as well as its support for Taiwan's efforts to join the World Health Organization.
President Chen said the Canadian Parliament previously began ironing out a Taiwan Affairs Act. Although the legislation was terminated due to the early dissolution of Parliament, the draft had mentioned that the name of Taiwan's office in Canada should be changed to the Taiwan Representative Office, that high-level government officials from Taiwan should be allowed to visit Canada on an unofficial basis, and that Canada should support Taiwan's entry into the WHO and other international organizations. President Chen welcomed the content and direction of the proposed legislation and said he hopes that in the future members of Canada's political parties will work together to pass this important piece of legislation that will provide a legal basis for Taiwan-related affairs.
President Chen said that despite Taiwan's small size, it is Canada's 11th largest trading partner and fourth biggest trading partner in Asia. In 2005, bilateral trade reached US$4.3 billion, with Taiwan enjoying a trade surplus of US$2.1 billion. He said that the Department of Health will send a delegation to Canada at the end of this month to examine Canada's meat industry, adding he hopes that this will pave the way for Taiwan, which used to be Canada's fifth largest export market for beef, to re-open imports of Canadian beef. He also pointed out that Taiwan is Canada's seventh largest source of tourists, with over 100,000 visits made to Canada annually by Taiwanese. In addition, there are presently 15,000 Taiwan students studying for formal degrees or taking part in short-term coursework in Canada.
President Chen furthermore said in light of what the delegation will see and experience on Taiwan, he hopes they will return to Canada and continue to speak out on behalf of Taiwan. He hopes that progress can be made in a variety of agreements between the two countries, such as in the areas of customs, taxes, health and judicial cooperation. President Chen added he hopes that Canada will provide visa-free courtesy for Taiwan tourists similar to that adopted by Japan, saying this would further boost tourism in Canada.
Lastly, President Chen said he hopes that the guests will continue to lend support to Taiwan, enabling Taiwan to make an even bigger contribution to the international community.