The honourable member is correct in pointing out the critical role that Taiwan plays in global supply chains for the high-tech industry. In fact, Canada has a very long-standing and rich partnership with partners in Taiwan on research, development and high tech. We've seen additional investments in that area.
It's a direct concern to our economy because Taiwan is one of our largest partners. They are 12th as an overall trade partner globally and fifth in Asia. It is not only an economic concern. It's also a national security concern to Canada.
Unfortunately, I cannot respond to the hypothetical of what we would do if there were a forced resolution to long-standing historical challenges across the Taiwan Strait. I would simply say that it is a priority for the Government of Canada to continue to encourage peaceful means to dialogue between authorities in Taiwan and those on mainland China.
We've made it very clear and the government has spoken out recently on a number of occasions, bilaterally but also with partners, to call out unprovoked and unprecedented military actions in the Taiwan Strait that we think destabilize not only the region but, as the honourable member has pointed out, global supply chains in a critical area for everything from cars to the phones in our hands.