The de facto Canadian embassy in Taiwan yesterday held a reception to mark its 40th anniversary, with the North American country’s top envoy to Taiwan pledging closer bilateral exchanges in the decades to come.
The office was founded in 1986 with only three employees, and four decades later, it has grown to a staff of 50, Canadian Trade Office in Taipei (CTOT) Executive Director Marie-Louise Hannan said.
“Over the past four decades, CTOT has worked hand-in-hand with partners across Taiwan to achieve remarkable milestones,” Hannan said, citing examples such as the tuned mass damper in the iconic Taipei 101 skyscraper and major transportation projects such as the Taipei Metro line in Neihu District (內湖).
Photo: CNA
In aviation, Taiwan’s domestic aerospace company AIDC continues to assemble and deliver parts for Canadian aircraft, she said.
Offshore wind projects developed by Northland Power also stand as “powerful examples of how our two economies can advance a more sustainable future together,” she said.
Beginning with early Canadian missionaries such as George Leslie Mackay, who founded schools, churches and hospitals across northern Taiwan 150 years ago, and extending to the more than 60,000 Canadians who live in Taiwan today, people-to-people exchanges have continued to flourish, Hannan said.
In closing, the envoy cited Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent remark that middle powers must work together to create a “third path” with real impact.
“Tonight, surrounded by so many long-standing friends and partners, it is clear that our two societies have long embodied that spirit, and that there is much more we can achieve together,” she said.
Speaking at the reception, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺) said that Taiwan and Canada share a strong commitment to democracy, diversity and the rule of law.
“These values are the foundation of our partnership and guide our efforts to support a free, open and rules-based international order,” he said.
Over the past 40 years, the CTOT has advanced cooperation in many areas, including trade, investment, education, culture, and science and technology, Chen said, adding that the bilateral partnership is stronger and more resilient than ever.
“We also look forward to deepening collaboration in emerging and critical areas, including green energy, artificial intelligence and critical minerals. These sectors will be essential for sustainable growth and future competitiveness,” he said.
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
Yangmingshan National Park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) nature area has gone viral after a park livestream camera observed a couple in the throes of intimate congress, which was broadcast live on YouTube, drawing large late-night crowds and sparking a backlash over noise, bright lights and disruption to wildlife habitat. The area’s livestream footage appeared to show a couple engaging in sexual activity on a picnic table in the park on Friday last week, with the uncensored footage streamed publicly online. The footage quickly spread across social media, prompting a tide of visitors to travel to the site to “check in” and recreate the
A former soldier and an active-duty army officer were yesterday indicted for allegedly selling classified military training materials to a Chinese intelligence operative for a total of NT$79,440. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Chen Tai-yin (陳泰尹) and Lee Chun-ta (李俊達) for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). Chen left the military in September 2013 after serving alongside then-staff sergeant Lee, now an army lieutenant, at the 21st Artillery Command of the army’s Sixth Corps from 2011 to 2013, according to the indictment. Chen met a Chinese intelligence operative identified as “Wang” (王) through a friend in November
Minister of Digital Affairs Lin Yi-ching (林宜敬) yesterday cited regulatory issues and national security concerns as an expert said that Taiwan is among the few Asian regions without Starlink. Lin made the remarks on Facebook after funP Innovation Group chief executive officer Nathan Chiu (邱繼弘) on Friday said Taiwan and four other countries in Asia — China, North Korea, Afghanistan and Syria — have no access to Starlink. Starlink has become available in 166 countries worldwide, including Ukraine, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, in the six years since it became commercial, he said. While China and North Korea block Starlink, Syria is not
RSS