Vancouver/Taipei, Jan. 14 (CNA) Two members of Canada’s Parliament from the Liberal Party were advised to end their trip to Taiwan early ahead of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to Beijing, a spokesperson for one of the MPs confirmed to CNA.
MPs Helena Jaczek and Marie-France Lalonde were part of a five-person, cross-party parliamentary group that had been set to visit Taiwan from Jan. 10 to 16.
However, on Tuesday, the two lawmakers decided to leave Taiwan a day before Carney’s scheduled trip to China from Jan. 14-17.
The other three members of the Canadian delegation — Conservative MPs Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Adam Chambers and Melissa Lantsman, who is also the party’s co-deputy leader — stayed in Taiwan and met with President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Tuesday.
Regarding their early departure, Josh Arnold, a constituency manager for Jaczek, shared with CNA a joint statement by the two MPs indicating they would return home on “advice from the government.”
“It’s important that we avoid confusion with Canada’s foreign policy, given the overlap with the Prime Minister’s engagement in Beijing, which was only confirmed last week,” the statement said.
Despite leaving early, “Canada’s position on Taiwan has not changed,” said the lawmakers. They also reaffirmed their support for Carney’s efforts to “expand sustainable and diverse trade partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.”
The government’s decision faced criticism from Canada’s Conservative Party opposition, which claimed it succumbed to pressure from China.
“Ordering elected representatives home to avoid offending an authoritarian regime sends a clear message: convenience comes before principle,” Conservative MP Michael Chong stated according to a Globe and Mail report.
“This kind of retreat weakens our democracy, our relationship with Taiwan, and rewards Beijing’s intimidation,” Chong added.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) confirmed Wednesday that some members of the Canadian delegation had returned home unexpectedly while others continued their planned visit.
MOFA noted that Taiwan and Canada have “actively expanded cooperation” in recent years and will “continue working together to deepen exchanges and cooperation across various fields.”
According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., Carney’s trip marks the first time a Canadian leader has visited Beijing since 2017. This visit occurs as his government seeks to reestablish ties with China.
(By Cheng Ai-fen and Matthew Mazzetta)
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