Premier Chen Chien-jen on Wednesday received a delegation of overseas Taiwanese business groups from Canada, which is visiting Taiwan to promote the nation's bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The premier said Canada's new Indo-Pacific Strategy demonstrates Canada's support for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, as well as Canada's intention to continue growing its partnerships with Taiwan. It shows that the prosperity and well-being of all nations is closely tied to the preservation of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, he said.
The premier said the campaign by Canada's Taiwanese business community, launched earlier this year, has had a positive impact and helped garner popular support for Taiwan's bid to join the trade bloc. He emphasized that Taiwan is fully prepared to join, and said he is counting on the influence of overseas Taiwanese communities to help support the nation's bid to enter the CPTPP and bring the world closer to Taiwan.
Timo Yu, head of the Canadian delegation, in his remarks said he began actively advocating for the signing of a Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) between Canada and Taiwan prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. With progress on a FIPA looking promising, he is now concentrating his efforts on promoting Taiwan's entry into the CPTPP, and he hopes Taiwan will soon become a signatory under the agreement.