Canada’s top representative to Taiwan on Wednesday said that Ottawa is open to discussions with Taipei over future cooperation in the vein of an investment deal signed late last year.
Taiwan and Canada signed the investment promotion and protection arrangement (FIPA) in December last year to “further enhance the bilateral investment environment” for companies from both sides, a news release issued by the Office of Trade Negotiations said.
Asked if Canada was interested in signing similar agreements to enhance bilateral business relations after FIPA, Canadian Trade Office in Taipei (CTOT) Executive Director Jim Nickel answered in the affirmative.
Photo: Reuters
“We’re in discussions with Taiwan’s offer to trade negotiations on a number of other arrangements that could address digital services, trade facilitation, customs,” Nickel said on the sidelines of a CTOT press event to promote the upcoming celebration Canada event.
He confirmed that Ottawa does “have an interest and planned” to move forward with additional arrangements in the trade investment space with Taipei.
Whether the arrangements would come in the form of separate trade deals or combine as one more comprehensive deal has yet to be decided, he added.
Meanwhile, commenting on Canada’s view on Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a trade bloc the North American country is serving as the rotating chair this year, Nickel reiterated Ottawa’s stance that it is open to Taiwan joining.
Canadian trade negotiators would “do our best to have a discussion amongst the existing membership of the CPTPP to ensure that those applicants who are ready and willing to meet all the standards of the CPTPP will get proper consideration by the commercial trade,” he said.
Taiwan has expressed hope that Canada’s rotating chair position would offer a “window of opportunity” for Taiwan’s potential accession because of the democratic values shared by Canada and Taiwan, and their robust trade and economic ties.
The CPTPP is one of the world’s biggest trade blocs, accounting for 13.5 percent of global trade. Its 11 signatories are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.
The UK formally signed the trade agreement on July 16 last year, and is expected to accede to the bloc by the end of this year.
The US House of Representatives yesterday passed the PROTECT Taiwan Act, which stipulates that Washington would exclude China from participating in major global financial organizations if its actions directly threaten Taiwan’s security. The bill, proposed by Republican US Representative Frank Lucas, passed with 395 votes in favor and two against. It stipulates that if China’s actions pose any threat to Taiwan’s security, economic or social systems, the US would, “to the maximum extent practicable,” exclude China from international financial institutions, including the G20, the Bank for International Settlements and the Financial Stability Board. The bill makes it clear that China
Taiwan’s Li Yu-hsiang performs in the men’s singles figure skating short program at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, on Tuesday. Li finished 24th with a score of 72.41 to advance to Saturday’s free skate portion of the event. He is the first Taiwanese to qualify for the free skate of men’s singles figure skating at the Olympics since David Liu in 1992.
Garbage and recycling schedules are to vary from Saturday through Sunday next week over the Lunar New Year holiday period. The following collection information is from the governments of the six special municipalities. Taipei Regular service: Sunday to Monday next week. No service: Tuesday to Thursday next week. Extra service: Friday next week. Regular service resumes: Saturday next week. New Taipei City Extra service: Sunday. Adjusted collection time: Monday next week — garbage collection is to begin in the morning and end at 6pm. No service: Tuesday to Thursday next week. Regular service resumes: Friday next week. Note: Garbage can be dropped off at 70
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday held a ceremony marking the delivery of its 11th Anping-class offshore patrol vessel Lanyu (蘭嶼艦), saying it would boost Taiwan’s ability to respond to Beijing’s “gray zone” tactics. Ocean Affairs Council Deputy Minister Chang Chung-Lung (張忠龍) presided over the CGA event in the Port of Kaoshiung. Representatives of the National Security Council also attended the event. Designed for long-range and protracted patrol operations at sea, the Lanyu is a 65.4m-long and 14.8m-wide ship with a top speed of 44 knots (81.5kph) and a cruising range of 2,000 nautical miles (3704km). The vessel is equipped with a
RSS