The Canada-Taiwan trade agreement, finalized in April 2025 and awaiting final signature, faces potential delays amid shifting China-Canada ties, Taiwan’s representative to Canada, Harry Tseng (曾厚仁), told Radio-Canada in a recent interview. Tseng expressed concern that Ottawa might postpone signing to preserve relations with Beijing, urging the Canadian government to show “courage” towards China. 

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responded on Wednesday that Canada has trade relations with Taiwan but is currently focused on strengthening Canada-China trade relations, and emphasized their great progress and success for businesses in the automotive and clean energy sectors. 
 
Tseng noted the 10-page framework agreement, signed on every page by negotiators from both sides in English, French, and Chinese versions, as evidence of how close they are to a final agreement. He said, “Generally speaking, if the documents are signed by both negotiating representatives, they are considered the final version, and this must be respected.” 

Global Affairs Canada confirmed to Radio-Canada that the framework was reached in March 2025 and is “under review for next steps.” The deal covers digital trade, energy transition, supply chain resilience, especially semiconductors. The U.K. signed a similar pact with Taiwan in June 2025. 

Tseng said Canada appears willing to “sacrifice relations with Taiwan to improve ties with China,” citing a contradiction between Carney’s Davos speech advocating trade diversification and criticizing superpowers and Ottawa’s actions. 

Carney visited Beijing in mid-January, the first Canadian prime minister to do so since 2017, signaling a thaw. They established a “new strategic partnership”, lifting multiple tariffs. 

Global Affairs spokesperson Samantha Lafleur said that as part of the ‘One China’ policy, Canada maintains unofficial but important economic, cultural, and people-to-people relations with Taiwan.