Canadian lawmaker Judy Sgro said on Friday that people “should not be intimidated by outside sources” after China publicly rebuked the parliamentarian for visiting Taiwan.
The Chinese embassy in Canada said via a statement that the visit to Taiwan by a parliamentary delegation led by Sgro from Sunday last week to Friday “blatantly violates the one-China principle” and “grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs,” the Globe and Mail reported.
The statement, which was provided to the Canadian daily on Thursday, said that China would “continue to take resolute and strong measures to defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and oppose the interference by external forces in China’s internal affairs.”
Photo: CNA
Sgro on Friday said that pressure from China would not prevent her and other lawmakers from visiting Taiwan.
“I think people should be encouraged to visit Taiwan. You have so much to offer, and the world needs to know more about Taiwan. People need to be encouraged to come and have a positive experience, and should not be intimidated by outside sources,” Sgro said.
Sgro, who is chairwoman of the Canadian parliament’s Standing Committee on International Trade and head of the Canada-Taiwan parliamentary friendship group, arrived in Taiwan with a delegation that included Canadian lawmakers Angelo Iacono, Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Richard Martel and Chris Lewis.
The five-member group was the latest in a series of international delegations from the US, France, Germany and Japan to visit Taiwan since early August.
Sgro said the delegation visited to seek opportunities for economic and investment cooperation between Canada and Taiwan.
The group met with Taiwanese officials and representatives from technology giants such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, the world’s largest contract chipmaker.
Sgro and other Canadian lawmakers urged their government to begin a foreign investment promotion and protection arrangement with Taiwan, with talks on the so-called FIPA continuing.
Sgro said the delegation would “use our voices as parliamentarians” after returning to Canada.
“We will go back to Canada with a very positive message ... about the opportunities there are for Canada and Taiwan to continue to strengthen their relationship,” she said.
Civil society groups yesterday protested outside the Legislative Yuan, decrying Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) efforts to pass three major bills that they said would seriously harm Taiwan’s democracy, and called to oust KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁). It was the second night of the three-day “Bluebird wintertime action” protests in Taipei, with organizers announcing that 8,000 people attended. Organized by Taiwan Citizen Front, the Economic Democracy Union (EDU) and a coalition of civil groups, about 6,000 people began a demonstration in front of KMT party headquarters in Taipei on Wednesday, organizers said. For the third day, the organizers asked people to assemble
Taipei is participating in Osaka’s Festival of Lights this year, with a 3m-tall bubble tea light installation symbolizing Taiwan’s bubble tea culture. The installation is designed as a bubble tea cup and features illustrations of Taipei’s iconic landmarks, such as Taipei 101, the Red House and North Gate, as well as soup dumplings and the matchmaking deity the Old Man Under the Moon (月下老人), affectionately known as Yue Lao (月老). Taipei and Osaka have collaborated closely on tourism and culture since Taipei first participated in the festival in 2018, the Taipei City Department of Information and Tourism said. In February, Osaka represented
POOR IMPLEMENTATION: Teachers welcomed the suspension, saying that the scheme disrupted school schedules, quality of learning and the milk market A policy to offer free milk to all school-age children nationwide is to be suspended next year due to multiple problems arising from implementation of the policy, the Executive Yuan announced yesterday. The policy was designed to increase the calcium intake of school-age children in Taiwan by drinking milk, as more than 80 percent drink less than 240ml per day. The recommended amount is 480ml. It was also implemented to help Taiwanese dairy farmers counter competition from fresh milk produced in New Zealand, which is to be imported to Taiwan tariff-free next year when the Agreement Between New Zealand and
Taiwanese professional baseball should update sports stadiums and boost engagement to enhance fans’ experience, Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) commissioner Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) told the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) in an interview on Friday. The league has urged Farglory Group and the Taipei City Government to improve the Taipei Dome’s outdated equipment, including relatively rudimentary television and sound systems, and poor technology, he said. The Tokyo Dome has markedly better television and sound systems, despite being 30 years old, because its managers continually upgraded its equipment, Tsai said. In contrast, the Taipei Dome lacked even a room for referees
RSS