Taiwan hopes Canada can help it join a major Asia-Pacific free trade agreement as relations between both countries warm. That’s according to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who spoke while meeting with Canada’s representative to Taiwan Jim Nickel on Thursday.
Tsai says Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy calls on deepening trade ties with Taiwan. She says both countries in February began talks over an investment agreement. The President adds both countries have a high degree of economic complementarity, and she hopes Canada will support Taiwan accession to the CPTPP. That refers to a major regional trade agreement.
Nickel says both countries’ relations are built on a foundation of democratic rule of law, human rights, gender equality, and shared values. He says Canada looks forward to deepening cooperation in a number of sectors with Taiwan.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s policy-planning head Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) says the country has an opportunity to join the free trade agreement within the next five years.