Good morning, honourable members. I call this meeting to order.
Welcome to meeting No. 6 of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.
Pursuant to the motion adopted on January 31, the committee is meeting on the situation at the Taiwan Strait.
As always, interpretation is available through the globe icon at the bottom of your screen.
Members participating in person, please keep in mind the Board of Internal Economy guidelines for mask use and health protocols.
Please note that screenshots and screen photos are not allowed.
Before speaking, please wait until I recognize you by name. When speaking, please speak slowly and clearly. When you're not speaking, your mike should be on mute.
I would also like to remind you that all comments by members and witnesses should be addressed through the chair.
Colleagues, just before we begin, procedurally there is a potential vote scheduled within the next hour. If that does happen, pursuant to Standing Order 115(5), the committee requires unanimous consent to continue once the bells have begun.
I would now like to welcome our witnesses.
We have with us today Weldon Epp, director general, North Asia;
Kevin Hamilton, director general, international security policy;
Stephen Randall, executive director, oceans, environment and aerospace law;
and Jordan Reeves, executive director, Canadian trade office in Taipei.
Thank you very much, Mr. Reeves, for joining us today.
Last, we have Mary-Catherine Speirs, executive director, trade policy and negotiations, Asia.
Colleagues, I understand that Mr. Epp will deliver the opening remarks for our panel. I will give the floor to him now for opening remarks for five minutes. We will then go into rounds of questions as usual.
Mr. Epp, please go ahead. You have the floor.