Overseas Chinese group launches Ottawa branch

The Global Alliance for Democracy and Peace, a solidarity union of overseas Chinese, inaugurated a branch in Ottawa, yesterday.

Nearly 100 representatives from the Chinese community and various social groups, as well as Chen Tong-pi (陳東璧), representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada, attended the ceremony.

At the invitation of the alliance branch organizing committee, Chen delivered a speech on the Taiwan government's policies on developing bilateral relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.

During the inauguration ceremony, Chen and eight other representatives from the Chinese community were elected mem-bers of the Ottawa branch's board of directors, with Kuo Chun-yen (郭俊彥) nominated the as board chairman.

In a joint declaration issued at the ceremony, the delegates said that the development of cross-strait relations must be based upon the principles of freedom and democracy as well as the people's common desire.