Foreign affairs: Canadian MPs call for talks

Canadian and Taiwanese politicians voiced their concerns during a recent seminar over the tension across the Taiwan Strait. In a joint statement by 14 Taiwanese legislators and 12 Canadian members of parliament after the seminar ended Thursday, the lawmakers called for the leaderships of Taiwan and China to engage in dialogue to pave the way for further systematic cross-strait talks aimed at ultimately achieving a peaceful resolution of their dispute. The Taiwanese legislators -- led by the DPP's Trong Chai (蔡同榮) -- and their Canadian counterparts also voiced a common desire to facilitate substantive bilateral relations between Taiwan and Canada and to make concerted efforts to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Chai and his group also extended an invitation to the Canadian parliamentarians to visit Taipei next January to attend a symposium on security in the Asia-Pacific region to be organized by the Legislative Yuan.