Thousands of people gathered at a park in Taichung on Saturday to take part in the annual “Experience Canada Carnival” held by the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei (CTOT) to highlight the strong commercial ties between Taiwan and Canada and to raise awareness of Canadian businesses in Taiwan.
With red and white maple leaf flags dotting the festival, the event celebrating the country’s 142nd anniversary featured 20 booths with food products, pet supplies, diet supplements and services for immigration and study in Canada.
Fair goers also had a chance to enjoy grilled Canadian beef provided by the Canada Beef Export Federation as well as freshly fried donuts made by Nicholas Pena-Alvarez, a Canadian chef working at a leading hotel in Taichung
“This is a wonderful way to let people who have never been to Canada know a little more about the country. All I knew about Canada was the kind and friendly Canadians that I met. I had no idea that Canada had so many products in Taiwan,” said Mary Wang (王惠盈), a housewife and a Taichung City resident after trying a ginseng drink from a Canada-based company started by a Taiwanese entrepreneur.
Other activities included a Canada-Taiwan Environmental Film Festival, a month-long Canadian food promotion organized by Hotel One, several seminars on studying or immigration to Canada, and a night of drinks and fun at a local pub featuring Canadian beers.
This was the 12th time that CTOT had held Canada Day in Taiwan. Each year, the celebration is held in a different part of the country. The purpose, said Ron MacIntosh, the head of CTOT, is to highlight the diverse and robust relationship between the two countries.
Despite the absence of diplomatic ties, the two share a strong friendship, said MacIntosh, adding that his office, which acts like an embassy, is Canada’s fourth largest visa-issuing agency globally.
MacIntosh said warming relations between Beijing and Taipei had reduced cross-strait tensions and had a positive impact on Taiwan-Canada relations as exemplified by the signing and renewing of various memorandums of understanding on an array of issues including economic consultation, Aboriginal policy, and science and technology.
Rosaline Kwan, director of the Trade and Investment section at CTOT, said Taiwan was Canada’s No. 4 trade partner in Asia and No. 13 worldwide. Trade volume last year was US$4.7 billion, an increase from the previous year despite the global economic situation.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
RSS