President Chen Shui-bian on September 3 met with a delegation of visiting Canadian parliamentarians. The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC (Taiwan), expressed a warm welcome and gratitude on the third visit to Taiwan this year by Canadian members of parliament.
President Chen first expressed his admiration and appreciation to Paul Szabo, a member of the House of Commons who served as the head of the Canada-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group from 1997 to 1999, for his staunch support for Taiwan. The president said that over the past four years, the Canadian Parliament has passed six resolutions supporting the granting of observer status to Taiwan in the World Health Assembly (WHA). Canada's minister of health on May 14 this year spoke at the WHA, advocating meaningful participation for Taiwan in the World Health Organization. The president said he was deeply touched by the goodwill put on display in supporting the right to health for the 23 million residents of Taiwan.
The president noted that progress has been seen in bilateral relations in recent years thanks to the efforts made by both countries. Last year, he pointed out, bilateral trade reached US$4.6 billion. Taiwan is Canada's 11th largest global trading partner and is its fourth largest trading partner in Asia. Each year, about 150,000 Taiwan tourists visit Canada, making Taiwan the seventh largest source of tourists for Canada, he said. In addition, presently 15,000 Taiwan students are studying in Canada. Last year, 2,500 Taiwan students headed to Canada for degree programs, and Canada has become the fourth most popular destination for Taiwan students seeking degrees overseas.
President Chen said this delegation is comprised of parliamentarians from Canada's four major political parties, including the Liberal Party, the Conservative Party, the Bloc Quebecois, and the New Democratic Party. He said that he is confident that the support for Taiwan shared by the parliamentarians as well as their efforts to work together will help to bolter substantive ties between the two countries. President Chen hopes that the parliamentarians will continue to provide assistance in promoting the passage of the Taiwan Affairs Act and in boosting visits of high ranking officials from each other. In addition, he said that the signing of an agreement on mutual assistance in criminal matters is quite important, noting that the pact will help the two countries to work together in combating international crime and terrorist activities. President Chen also hopes that Canada will begin offering visa-free courtesies for Taiwan tourists on the model of Japan, South Korea and Singapore.
The visitors expressed their appreciation for President Chen taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with them, also saying that they will take President Chen's suggestions back to Canada and present them to the House of Commons. They said the Canada-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group is Canada's most vigorous parliamentary group. The visitors said they are confident that President Chen's opinions will be discussed widely and they will continue to support Taiwan's strong democracy and vibrant economy, pledging to work to promote the development of friendly relations between the two nations.