Canada-Taiwan ties alive and well: trade rep

"We develop our foreign trade without some of the additional inducements that colonialism can provide," Lipman said.

"It's to our advantage in the long run because it presents Canada as a reliable partner where business and politics don't necessarily come together," he added.

Fluent in Mandarin, Lipman is married to the renowned Chinese singer Zhu Zheqin (朱哲琴).