Proposed legislation to strengthen Canada’s relationship with Taiwan has multi-partisan support, says MP for St. Albert-Edmonton Michael Cooper, who introduced the private member's bill last June.
The Canada Taiwan Relations Framework Act (Bill C-343) calls upon Canada to promote security and defence cooperation between the two nations, support Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, exempt senior Taiwanese government officials from needing a passport to enter Canada, and change the name of Ottawa’s Taipei Economic and Cultural Office to the Taiwan Representative Office, among many other policy declarations.
At a Rotary Club meeting on Feb. 23, Cooper told Rotarians that Sen. Michael MacDonald of Nova Scotia has introduced a mirror bill in the Senate, increasing the odds the proposed legislation might get some traction.
“I have to admit that the chances of this bill passing in this Parliament are remote,” Cooper said. “It’s an arduous process to getting private member's bill passed … But even if it doesn’t pass into law, I’m hoping it can at least get to committee, whether it be in a committee in the House of Commons, or on the Senate side for further study.”
Cooper said the bill has the support of his colleagues, and he is hopeful that a future Conservative government would strengthen Taiwan relations, through Bill C-343 or other means.
“I should add, it doesn't just have the support of Conservatives. It has support across party lines from members of Parliament I’ve spoken with,” he said.
Asked by a Rotary member if there were downsides to “poking the big panda bear” of China, Cooper said Canada shouldn’t “conduct relations with Taiwan based on what Beijing’s position may be.”
“Taiwan is at the forefront of defending democracy in the face of an increasingly belligerent authoritarian regime,” he said. “I think that showing weakness enhances the likelihood of further escalation and aggression on the part of Beijing.”
Canada should be entering into military agreements with Taiwan, he said. “National defences should be lifting what amounts to a wall in terms of communications with Taiwan, as other of our allies have done.”
Taiwan is one of Canada’s top 20 trading partners. It is a central player in the world’s semiconductor industry, which powers everything from cellphones to military equipment.
Canada has not formally recognized Taiwan as a sovereign state independent from the People’s Republic of China, even though Taiwan’s now democratic government has never been under the control of the Communist Party of China.