Canadian lawmaker Michael Chong (莊文浩) yesterday said that he has shown "solidarity" with Taiwan by visiting the nation after China warned against such a trip.
Chong, a member of the opposition Conservative Party who has previously criticized Beijing over alleged human rights abuses, said that he was also "reasserting Canadian sovereignty" by not letting Beijing dictate "where we can go internationally."
China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to seize it by force.
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Photo courtesy of the Presidential Office
Chong met with President William Lai (賴清德) and other senior officials during his four-day trip, which ends today.
"It's important to show solidarity with Taiwan and to make it clear that the West is watching and that we are engaged, and that if there is any unilateral action against Taiwan that there will be a very high price to pay on the part of Beijing," Chong said in a telephone interview.
Chong said his visit in defiance of China's warnings was "reasserting Canadian sovereignty," adding that such visits by Canadian lawmakers "should continue no matter what Beijing has demanded."
Chinese Ambassador to Canada Wang Di (王鏑) recently told the Globe and Mail that "any official engagement" between Canadian parliamentarians and Taiwan "will be hurtful," and should only happen with Beijing.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in January, the first meeting between the countries' leaders in Beijing in eight years.
Carney hailed the signing of a "landmark deal" under a "new strategic partnership" with China, turning the page on years of diplomatic spats, tit-for-tat arrests and tariff disputes.
Chong's visit to Taiwan comes after US President Donald Trump suggested that US arms sales to Taipei could be used as a bargaining chip with China.
"As the United States seemingly retreats from its leadership position in both Europe and Asia, it becomes even more important for democracies like Canada to step up and fill the void, whether it's in Ukraine or in Taiwan," Chong said.
Chong was sanctioned by China in 2021 over his criticism of Beijing's treatment of Uighurs.
At the time, Chong called it a "badge of honor."
In 2023, Canada ousted a Chinese diplomat accused of trying to intimidate Chong and his family in Hong Kong.
China responded by expelling a Canadian consul.
Chong yesterday said that he has severed contact with his family in Hong Kong, "because I don't want to put them in harm's way."
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