Beijing reminds Canada of ‘one China’ commitment ahead of visit by Tsai

Former Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen reportedly expected to address a security forum in Canada, after three-nation European trip last month

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Tsai Ing-wen addresses a conference in Prague, Czech Republic, on October 14, as part of her first overseas trip since stepping down as leader of Taiwan in May. Photo: Reuters

Published: 7:55pm, 14 Nov 2024Updated: 8:18pm, 14 Nov 2024

Beijing has urged Ottawa to abide by its “one China” commitment and safeguard bilateral relations, days ahead of an expected visit to Canada by former Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen.

“China strongly opposes any visits by Taiwan separatists to countries that maintain diplomatic relations with China under any title,” Beijing’s foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Thursday.

“We urge relevant countries to uphold the one-China principle and safeguard the political foundation of bilateral relations through concrete actions,” he said in response to a question from Reuters, which cited sources in its reporting on the visit.

Tsai, who completed her second and final term as leader of Taiwan in May, will deliver a speech at the Halifax International Security Forum starting on November 22 in Nova Scotia, eastern Canada, according to Reuters.

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The website for this year’s conference shows that the event is “by invitation only”, but information on the agenda and speakers is not yet available.

Tsai visited the Czech Republic, France and Belgium last month, in her first overseas trip since stepping down. She spoke at a democracy conference in the Czech capital Prague, met European politicians and Taiwanese expatriates, and visited the European Parliament in Brussels.