Taiwan President Lai Ching-te thanked Canada for publicly expressing concern over recent Chinese military drills and lauded deepening ties, including a 2023 investment agreement. Two Liberal Party lawmakers cut short a visit to Taiwan ahead of the Canadian prime minister's trip to Beijing, citing government guidance. Lai met the remaining Conservative delegates and reaffirmed Taiwan's intent to further strengthen cooperation with Canada.
Taiwan Thanks Canada For Support As Canadian Prime Minister Prepares China Visit
FILE PHOTO: Taiwan President Lai Ching-te poses for photo after inspecting reservists operating Taiwan made Hummer 2 Drone during a training session at Loung Te Industrial Parks Service Center in Yilan, Taiwan December 2, 2025. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo
TAIPEI, Jan 13 — Taiwan President Lai Ching-te on Tuesday expressed gratitude to the Canadian government for publicly raising concerns about recent Chinese military drills near the island and praised the steady deepening of ties between Taipei and Ottawa. His remarks came shortly before an anticipated visit to China by Canada's prime minister.
Meeting Highlights And Progress
Meeting with three remaining members of a Canadian parliamentary delegation from the opposition Conservative Party, Lai highlighted substantive bilateral progress over the past three years in trade, technology and investment. He pointed to the landmark investment agreement signed in 2023 as an example of growing economic cooperation.
"Bilateral relations continue to deepen and yield fruitful results," Lai said at the presidential office in Taipei.
Lai specifically thanked Ottawa for issuing a statement expressing concern about last month's Chinese war games around Taiwan. "I would like to thank the Canadian government for promptly releasing a statement expressing its concern and opposing any unilateral attempt to change the status quo," he said, adding that maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is both in the interest of all parties and an international consensus.
Delegation Changes And Reactions
Two lawmakers from the governing Liberal Party ended their visit to Taiwan early this week, citing guidance from the Canadian government and saying they wanted to "avoid confusion with Canada's foreign policy" ahead of the prime minister's trip to Beijing. Taiwan's foreign ministry downplayed the early departures and reiterated Taipei's intent to continue deepening exchanges and cooperation with Canada.
Melissa Lantsman, deputy co-leader of Canada's Conservative Party, told President Lai that Taiwan remains a trusted partner. "We are here with a clear and sincere purpose to say to Taiwan and the people of Taiwan that you have friends in Canada's parliament," she said.
Regional Context
Canada has occasionally sailed warships through the sensitive Taiwan Strait, a practice that has drawn objections from Beijing; the most recent such transit occurred last September. The upcoming visit by Canada's prime minister is expected to focus on trade and international security at a time when Ottawa is managing complex relations with global partners.
Note on Reporting: A previous version of this item incorrectly named a visiting Canadian official. This revised article refers generically to "Canada's prime minister" to avoid repeating that error and to focus on verified developments.
Help us improve.
