Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) announced via social media that although Taiwan’s economic cooperation framework with Canada has been delayed, it is still progressing. Following his meeting with Canada’s new representative, Lin says he hopes both sides will continue to deepen bilateral relations while celebrating the 40th year of Canada’s trade office in Taiwan this coming year.

On Thursday, Lin met with Marie-Louise Hannan, the new Canadian Representative to Taiwan. Lin noted the rapid progress and development of Taiwan-Canada relations since the signing of Canada’s 2022 Indo-Pacific strategy.  He also pointed to the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Arrangement, and the Science, Technology, and Innovation Arrangement of 2023 and 2024, respectively. These, he says, show the steady advancement of economic cooperation – building on one another’s strengths and expanding into sectors such as semiconductors, AI, energy, and mining.

Lin also shared Hannan’s positions from their meeting, saying she emphasized the significant strides in Taiwan-Canada relations from recent years, including the multiple cooperative agreements signed in just the past two years. Speaking to the economic cooperation framework specifically, she said, although it’s lagged slightly due to Canada’s federal election, it’s still progressing steadily. Despite reporting claiming trouble in the relationship, both sides’ negotiation teams seem to be satisfied with the results, and discussions have been constructive.