So V ote

Context: House Hansard - 104 - Sep/28/22

Jun/15/23 10:08:22 a.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-343

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-343, an act respecting a framework to strengthen Canada-Taiwan relations. He said: Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise to introduce the Canada-Taiwan relations framework act. Recognizing the important bilateral relationship between Canada and Taiwan, this bill provides a framework for the strengthening of economic, legal and cultural relations. It would make it a policy of the Government of Canada to support Taiwan's participation in international fora as well as membership in international agreements, including the CPTPP. It would appropriately permit the Government of Taiwan's office in Ottawa to be referred to as the Taiwan representative office and would provide opportunities for the enhancement of diplomacy. This bill is an important step in recognizing the reality of Taiwan, a vibrant democracy, leading global economy and important ally to Canada. I urge its passage.

145 words

Sep/28/22 7:43:54 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, last November, I copied the ministers of health and foreign affairs on a letter that I wrote to the president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, which falls under the purview of the Minister of Health, regarding the CIHR's blatant mislabelling of Taiwan as a province of China. I wrote this letter after a Taiwanese scholar doing research in Canada brought to my attention that the CIHR's research application process requires Taiwanese applicants to falsely indicate their nationality as “Taiwan—Province of China”, and accordingly requested the president of CIHR to correct this blatant mislabelling. After all, Taiwan is not a province of China. Taiwan consists of a distinct and substantial territory and population, and is governed by a democratic government. Moreover, the People's Republic of China has never controlled, not for one minute, one inch of Taiwanese territory. Nearly a year after I wrote to the president of CIHR, I have heard nothing from anyone at CIHR, nor from the Minister of Health nor the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Six months after I wrote the letter, I attempted to follow up with the Minister of Health in question period. The minister, incredibly, seemed completely unaware of the issue and offered nothing in the way of substance with his answer, but nonetheless undertook to look into the issue and follow up with me. Months later, there has been no follow-up and the mislabelling continues. The minister's inaction is completely unacceptable. This is not a new issue. This has been going on for years, and it has been repeatedly brought to the attention of the Liberal government, including by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office. Why the inaction? When will the Minister of Health finally get around to directing the CIHR to stop this blatant mislabelling of Taiwan?

308 words

May/16/22 4:38:49 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I am encouraged by the parliamentary secretary's words of support for Taiwan's participation at the WHO and the WHA. The Chinese Communist regime, in addition to trying to block Taiwan's meaningful participation in international fora like the WHO and WHA, has also insisted upon the mislabelling of Taiwan in which certain Canadian government institutions are currently actively participating in such mislabelling. One is the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, which is the leading federal government health agency. The minister has been aware of this issue for some time. I wrote to the minister some six months ago. The member for Humber River—Black Creek has brought this issue forward and yet, this mislabelling continues. Why?

121 words

All Topics

May/16/22 4:10:27 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, the world is not benefiting from the exclusion of Taiwan. It is straight-up bullying by the Chinese communist regime, and we need to stand up against that.

30 words

All Topics

May/16/22 4:07:47 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, my friend for Cypress Hills—Grasslands is quite right that Taiwan has been excluded from participating as an observer at the ICAO. It is again part of the broader strategy on the part of the Chinese communist regime to isolate and delegitimize Taiwan. It is important that Taiwan participate at the ICAO, the WHA and the WHO from a global health standpoint and a global aviation safety standpoint. In that regard, I would just note that Taiwan has one of the busiest airports in the world at Taipei, with tens of millions of passengers going through it. From simply a civil aviation safety standpoint, it is absurd the Taiwan would be excluded from ICAO.

117 words

All Topics

May/16/22 4:06:24 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, it could not be more timely. The WHA is set to convene in less than a week. Once again, the Chinese communist regime is thumbing its nose at global public health. Our allies have been clear and consistent in their support. We have seen resolutions passed in other parliaments, including the European Parliament. Just last Friday, President Biden signed into law legislation to direct the U.S. Secretary of State to develop a strategy for Taiwan's inclusion: legislation that received unanimous support in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. It would be very fitting if the House of Commons also lent its unanimous support.

112 words

May/16/22 3:56:11 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the concurrence motion that the House support Taiwan's participation at the World Health Organization and the World Health Assembly. The 75th World Health Assembly is set to convene in less than a week, from May 22 to 28, in Geneva. Without more, there is no legitimate reason for Taiwan's exclusion from this international health forum. It should be noted that attendance at the WHA does not require statehood. Indeed, it is commonplace for non-members and NGOs to attend the World Health Assembly as observers. Taiwan itself attended the WHA as an observer for eight consecutive assemblies between 2009 and 2016. There is only one reason and one reason alone for Taiwan's exclusion, and that is politics by the Chinese Communist regime to deny Taiwan its rightful seat at the table since 2017. This is part of a broader campaign of aggression being perpetrated by the Chinese Communist regime to delegitimize and isolate our democratic ally Taiwan. In the face of this escalating campaign of aggression, it is imperative that Canada take every opportunity to join with our allies in standing up to Beijing's bullying and stand with Taiwan. Part of standing with Taiwan is to support Taiwan's participation at international fora, including the upcoming WHA. Let me take an opportunity to underscore the importance of Taiwan's relationship with Canada and Canada's relationship with Taiwan, because make no mistake about it: Taiwan is not some peripheral state in terms of Canada's interests. We share important economic ties. Taiwan is one of our largest trading partners, as the 13th largest in the world and the fifth largest in Asia, and we have $8 billion in annual bilateral trade and growing. We share strong people-to-people links with Taiwan, hosting the fourth-largest Canadian diaspora in the world. Most importantly, we share common values. Taiwan is a vibrant democracy committed to freedom, pluralism, human rights and the rule of law. Taiwan's friendship with Canada was demonstrated in the early days of COVID-19. In the first months of COVID-19, Canada had a PPE shortage. Taiwan could help and Taiwan did help by providing, and donating in fact, more than half a million surgical masks to frontline Canadian health workers. That is something Canadians should remember for a very long time. When Canada needed help, Taiwan was there at a critical period of time. Aside from the importance of our relationship and the common ties that we share, Taiwan is a major leader with respect to international health and international health security. Again, this was prominently illustrated during COVID. Taiwan provides many lessons that the world can learn, having had among the most successful records in dealing with COVID. Among the measures that Taiwan undertook were a command system that provided a streamlined decision-making process. Taiwan undertook a number of proactive measures, including border control, case identification and measures to contain the virus. It also boasted leading R and D: Taiwan, very early, developed a COVID-19 rapid antigen test. As the member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes noted, Taiwan not only had a tremendous record of success internally. It was also among the first to alert the world to the threat of COVID. Taiwan's disease surveillance systems picked up on COVID in December 2019, and Taiwan provided among the first reports of COVID to the World Health Organization. The WHO has recognized Taiwan's leadership in that regard. Not only did Taiwan alert the world at a critical point in time, but over the past two years, Taiwan has demonstrated itself to be a force for good by not just providing PPE to Canada, but also providing millions of pieces of PPE and rapid tests to countries in need. In that regard, Taiwan has played a critical global role in the fight against COVID. Taiwan's leadership in global health is hardly confined to COVID. Taiwan has provided significant financial assistance and expertise to address an array of global health challenges. Since 1996, Taiwan has provided some $6 billion in international health and humanitarian assistance, benefiting some 80 countries, and Taiwan has been recognized as a leader in terms of its health care system. In that regard, Taiwan has ranked number one by some measures, in terms of its health care system, all of which underscores the absolute absurdity of Taiwan's exclusion from the WHA. Global health and global health security require coordination, co-operation and mutual assistance. It follows that Taiwan deserves a seat at the table and must have a seat at the table. That is not only in Taiwan's interests: it is in Canada's interests and the world's interests, because it is in the interests of global health. It is time to take politics out of the WHA. It is time to stand up to Beijing's bullying. It is time for the House to send a strong, clear and unanimous message of support for Taiwan's participation in the WHA and the WHO.

855 words

All Topics

Context: House Hansard - 71 - May/13/22

May/16/22 3:55:05 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, would the hon. member concur that the effort by the Chinese Communist regime to block democratic Taiwan is part of a broader campaign of aggression perpetrated by the Chinese Communist regime?

33 words

All Topics

Context: House Hansard - 38 - Mar/1/22

May/13/22 12:03:48 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research require Taiwanese funding applicants to falsely specify their nationality as “Taiwan, Province of China”. Taiwan is not a province of China; Taiwan is Taiwan. Six months ago, I wrote to the Minister of Health and six months later this mislabelling continues. Why has the minister failed to intervene to stop this blatant mislabelling of Taiwan?

65 words

Context: House Hansard - 38 - Mar/1/22

Mar/1/22 6:32:13 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I share the hon. parliamentary secretary's sentiments and I concur with him that Taiwan is an important ally to Canada in terms of our trade, our people-to-people links and our shared values. That is why the government's inaction to strongly signal its support for Taiwan in the face of Chinese communist aggression has been so disappointing. In that regard, Canada has fallen short of our allies. There are meaningful things that Canada can be doing. Canada could, for example, establish meaningful security co-operation with Taiwan. We could be a leader in encouraging Taiwan's participation in multilateral military exercises. Unlike the government, which did not signal its support, we should be signalling our support for Taiwan's inclusion in the CPTPP. Those are three practical measures that could be taken. It is time the government began to act.

145 words