President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday welcomed the first Bloc Quebecois delegation to Taiwan and called for closer cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors and supply chain security.
The delegation, led by Yves-Francois Blanchet, a member of parliament and leader of Canada’s Bloc Quebecois, is the bloc’s first official delegation to Taiwan since the party’s founding in 1991, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the meeting with the delegation at the Presidential Office, Lai said that in November 2024, the Bloc Quebecois became the first party in the Canadian Parliament to introduce a motion countering China’s attempts to distort UN General Assembly Resolution 2758. In February, Blanchet called on the Canadian government to sign a Taiwan-Canada trade cooperation framework agreement. Bloc MP Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe called on the government from the House Foreign Affairs Committee to ensure Canadian warships continue to transit the Taiwan Strait.
Photo: Screen grab from the Presidential Office’s Flickr page
Lai expressed gratitude for the lawmakers’ repeated actions in Parliament, which he said have shown the world that peace in the Taiwan Strait and Taiwan’s international participation are issues of concern to the international community.
Quebec is an important global hub for the aerospace industry, while Montreal is a major center for AI research, he said.
Lai said he looks forward to Taiwan and Quebec building closer partnerships in AI, semiconductors, aerospace, critical minerals, renewable energy and supply chain security.
Blanchet said the visit is historic, as it is the first time a delegation made up entirely of Quebec-based members of the House of Commons has visited Taiwan.
There are many areas in which Taiwan and Quebec can deepen exchanges and cooperation, he added.
He said the Bloc Quebecois will continue to speak up for the people of Taiwan in the Canadian Parliament until all governments in the free world can act according to their conscience without being intimidated by China.
This would give Taiwan the opportunity to participate in multilateral mechanisms, showcase its strong economic capabilities and outstanding talent, and enjoy equal rights to freedom and security, he said.
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