On March 19th, the President of the Canada-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, Member of Parliament Judy Sgro, hosted a reception at the Valour building on Parliament Hill. The reception welcomed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kelly Hsieh and her delegation's visit to Canada, aiming to enhance bilateral exchanges and cooperation. During the event, there was an urge for the Canadian government to sustain the momentum from the recent signing of the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) between the two countries. Additionally, there was a call for Canada to continue its role as the rotating chair of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and assist Taiwan in joining the trade pact.
The reception saw enthusiastic attendance, with nearly 20 federal senators and members of parliament personally greeting Deputy Minister Hsieh. They expressed steadfast support for democratic Taiwan, including Paul Chiang, Acting Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, John McKay, Chair of the Defence Committee, Ken Hardie, Chair of the Canada-China Relations Special Committee, Michael Chong, Vice-Chair of the Foreign Affairs and International Development Committee and Shadow Foreign Minister for the Conservative Party, Stephane Bergeron, Vice-Chair of the Foreign Affairs and Canada-China Relations Committees, Lena Diab, Chair of the Justice and Human Rights Committee, Christine Normandin, Vice-Chair of the Defence Committee and Deputy Opposition House Leader for the Bloc Québécois, Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Vice-Chair of the Trade Committee (BQ-QC), among others. Representatives from multiple parliamentary offices were also in attendance, totaling over 50 guests.
