President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of July 11 with a delegation of Canadian parliamentarians presently on a visit to Taiwan. During the meeting, President Ma stressed that the primary objective in improving cross-strait relations is to create a peaceful and secure environment for Taiwan. He added that engaging in an arms race with mainland China is not in the interests of either Taiwan or the region, which are best served by rapprochement and institutionalization of relations between the two sides.
The president remarked that last year trade between Taiwan and Canada was valued at over US$3.4 billion, up 34% from the previous year. Each year roughly 150,000 people from Taiwan visit Canada for business, personal visits, or tourism, he said, adding that currently some 15,000 Taiwanese students are studying in Canada, making that nation the fourth most popular destination for Taiwanese seeking to study abroad. The president specially pointed out that the number of Taiwanese visiting Canada continues to rise in the wake of the signing of a youth working holiday agreement between the two sides last year, as well as Canada's decision to include Taiwan in its visa-waiver program. These developments are paving the way for even closer economic and trade ties, as well as greater interaction among private citizens.
President Ma furthermore stated that when he was elected president in 2008 the Canadian government was the first to express its congratulations, and also dispatched a delegation to Taiwan to attend his inauguration ceremonies. Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon has on numerous occasions in international venues expressed his support for Taiwan's participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA), and Taiwan has participated in the WHA three years running since 2009. In addition, Canada has also provided Taiwan with a wide range of assistance in the World Health Organization, APEC, and other international and regional organizations, the president added, saying that he deeply appreciates Canada's assistance in this regard.
In explaining the current state of cross-strait relations to the visitors, President Ma stated that over the past three years his administration has effectively improved ties with mainland China, which has turned the Taiwan Strait into an avenue for reconciliation and negotiation rather than the confrontation and conflict of the past. Taiwan and mainland China have experienced development of trade, investment, and private interaction, he stated. For instance, the president pointed out that before he took office in May 2008 trade between the two sides had already passed the US$100 billion mark. However, planes or vessels still could not move directly between the two sides, with only a handful of charter flights allowed to ply cross-strait routes and only on special holidays. Talks between the two sides after he took office, however, have yielded improvements on this front, with some 558 regularly scheduled flights between the two sides weekly at present. This provides greater convenience for people travelling between the two sides and also significantly reduces the chances of an outbreak of conflict in the Taiwan Strait, he said.
President Ma also expressed his hope that the Canadian guests will take advantage of this visit to familiarize themselves with many different aspects of Taiwan and further understand the vibrancy and potential of Taiwan's pluralistic society and diverse culture. He also said he hopes that the group will continue to work to promote the development of bilateral relations after they return to Canada.
The delegation included Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay, Member of Parliament and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice , and Members of Parliament David Wilks, Ted Opitz, Joe Daniel, and Wladyslaw Lizon. The group was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Deputy Foreign Minister Lyushun Shen (沈呂巡) and Canadian Trade Office in Taipei Executive Director Scott Fraser to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting was National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Chih-kung Liu (劉志攻).