President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of May 4 with Philip S. Lee (李紹麟), the former lieutenant governor of Canada's Manitoba Province, and Mrs. Lee. In addition to praising Mr. Lee for his contributions to Taiwan-Canada cooperation and exchanges, the president also briefed his visitors on the current state of cross-strait ties.
In remarks, President Ma noted that Mr. Lee became involved in Chinese community affairs in Manitoba in 1970 and soon emerged as a leader. He helped develop the Chinatown district in the provincial capital of Manitoba, worked with Folklorama, an annual provincial multicultural festival, since its inception in 1970, and was a driving force behind the construction of the Winnipeg Chinese Cultural and Community Centre (WCCCC). In 1982 he successfully brought about the signing of a sister city agreement between Winnipeg and Taichung in central Taiwan. He is deeply respected in the Chinese community, having served as chairman of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of Manitoba, as a WCCCC executive board member, and a commissioner and senior advisor of the ROC Overseas Community Affairs Council.
President Ma pointed out that Mr. Lee in 1999 received the Order of Canada, that nation's highest decoration. In 2002 he received the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal, and in 2009 he was appointed lieutenant governor of Manitoba by former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He is one of just three people of Chinese descent to serve as a lieutenant governor in Canada. In addition, Mr. Lee in recent years has continued to help the ROC in the conduct of its diplomatic affairs, and has vigorously supported Taiwan-Canada cultural exchange activities. A delegation from the National Taiwan University of Sport, for example, traveled to Manitoba to perform during the 2014 Taiwan Heritage Week in Canada, and Mr. Lee, the lieutenant governor at that time, provided enthusiastic support by inviting senior political leaders to enjoy the shows. The president expressed sincere gratitude for Mr. Lee's many years of unstinting efforts to benefit the expatriate community.
The president remarked that there has been a lot of progress in bilateral relations between Taiwan and Canada since he came to office in 2008. In the area of people-to-people ties, the two sides since 2010 have had a youth working holiday agreement that currently allows 1,000 young people to participate each year, and demand still exceeds the number of places available. In addition, Taiwan continues to administer the Taiwan Fellowship and the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship programs, facilitating deeper interaction between the young people from both countries.
Turning to the topic of tourism ties, the president further pointed out that Canada has allowed ROC passport holders visa-free entry since November of 2010, and this measure has greatly increased people-to-people exchanges. On the subject of economic and trade ties, the president noted that Taiwan is Canada's 12th-largest trading partner in the world and fifth-largest in Asia. Two-way trade in 2015 totaled roughly US$5.5 billion, and two-way foreign direct investment is booming in such service sectors as financial services, insurance, and wholesale and retail operations.
President Ma stated that Taiwan and Canada signed an avoidance of double taxation agreement in mid-January of this year after many years of negotiations. This was a big breakthrough in bilateral economic and trade ties, said the president, who expressed hope that the Canadian Parliament will ratify the agreement by year's end so that it can enter into force next January. Implementation of the agreement will create a better investment environment for the people of both nations. In addition, Taiwan is currently the 19th-largest trading nation and 22nd-largest economy in the world, and the ninth-largest trading nation among APEC members. In order to further integrate into the global trading system, Taiwan is actively seeking admission to regional economic bodies such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Canada is a key TPP member, and like Taiwan is also a member of the WTO and APEC, so the president expressed hope that Mr. Lee and other Canadian friends will lend Taiwan concrete support in its quest to join the TPP.
The president mentioned that since taking office he has greatly improved cross-strait relations. He has consistently sought under the framework of the ROC Constitution to maintain the status quo of "no unification, no independence, and no use of force" in the Taiwan Strait, and to seek peaceful cross-strait relations in line with the 1992 Consensus—whereby each side acknowledges the existence of "one China" but maintains its own interpretation of what that means. The two sides have signed 23 agreements, and the ministers in charge of cross-strait affairs from each side have met seven times, addressing each other by their official titles. Moreover, he met in Singapore on November 7 last year with mainland Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平). This was the first meeting between the leaders of the two sides since Taiwan and mainland China came under separate rule 66 years ago. They exchanged views on how to consolidate cross-strait peace and maintain the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, and confirmed their shared view that they should continue to maintain the peaceful and prosperous cross-strait status quo on the basis of the 1992 Consensus. If this foundation can be maintained, said the president, peaceful development of cross-strait relations can continue.
President Ma stated that in addition to improving cross-strait relations, Taiwan has sought to act as a provider of humanitarian aid in the international community. In recent years, the ROC government has worked together with many Taiwanese NGOs to tap into the deep resources available outside the government, with many significant achievements. Taiwan's Bliss and Wisdom Foundation, for example, has established the Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society (GEBIS) on Prince Edward Island in Canada. Some 300 to 400 monastics from Taiwan have attended training programs there. GEBIS is also a strong promoter of organic farming and environmental preservation, and sponsors the local Buffalo Land Provincial Park, achieving admirable results.
The president then expressed hope that Mr. Lee would continue using his influence so that the governments of Taiwan and Canada can engage in further cooperation and exchanges, thereby enhancing the bilateral friendship.