TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Canadian lawmaker Judy Sgro announced that she will lead a cross-party parliamentary delegation to Taiwan in October.
During a hearing on Canada-Taiwan trade cooperation in Canada’s House of Commons, Sgro, head of the parliamentary Taiwan Friendship Group, said she looked forward to the trip, per CNA. Sgro described Taiwan as an important leading democracy in the world.
Taiwan’s representative to Canada, Tseng Hou-jen (曾厚仁), outlined Taiwan-Canada economic and trade relations at the hearing, saying the two economies are highly complementary. Canada’s strengths include clean energy, critical minerals, advanced AI research, and talent, while Taiwan excels in precision manufacturing, advanced semiconductor processes, and AI infrastructure development, he said.
The next step is advancing a Taiwan-Canada Trade Cooperation Framework Agreement, Tseng added.
Several Canadian lawmakers asked about potential areas for deeper Taiwan-Canada cooperation, including whether Taiwan would be interested in purchasing Canadian energy or nuclear power resources. Taiwan is seeking more stable energy sources, and Canada is a good option, Tseng said.
As countries race to develop AI industries, they need cooperation with Taiwan, the representative said. He pointed out that semiconductor giant TSMC already has a design team in Ottawa, demonstrating an existing foundation for technological collaboration and strong development potential.
Tseng urged Canadian officials to visit Taiwan more frequently, noting that the last Canadian Cabinet-level visit was in 1998. If Canada wants to deepen bilateral trade, it must show its political determination, he said.
Sgro’s forthcoming trip comes after Chinese Ambassador to Canada Wang Di warned Canada against sending lawmakers to Taiwan or military ships through the Taiwan Strait. Wang said Ottawa must make its position clear if it wants relations with Beijing to continue improving.
