Canada-China Relations committee  As a matter of fact, Canada has played a very important role in support of Taiwan's international participation, and you are the people behind that support. I am referring to the three motions passed in this Parliament. This year, three motions from different committees have passed in support of Taiwan's international participation, and one motion is from the House.

Canada-China Relations committee  Thank you, sir. I think before I answer this question, I must report to you, ladies and gentlemen, that the relations between our two countries are moving in the right direction. There is an increasing improvement between our two countries, including in the relations on the economic and investment issues.

Canada-China Relations committee  That's right.

Canada-China Relations committee  I think both sides know that very well. The CPTPP is a multilateral platform, so as I am talking to you, all of my other colleagues in different missions are talking to their counterparts as well. To get the multilateral support, we start with bilateral support. I am asking the Canadian government to show at least the positive gesture of welcoming Taiwan to apply for the CPTPP.

Canada-China Relations committee  Again, I think this disinformation campaign you feel in Canada is perhaps only one part of the Chinese effort to expand its influence abroad. The way China does its control abroad is by extending its judicial powers into a third country. That is very concerning to us. As a matter of fact, in Taiwan we are facing a similar kind of challenge.

Canada-China Relations committee  I think the FIPA is going in a positive direction. What we need is the political will of both sides to sit down and talk. We are hopeful that some major steps can be demonstrated on both sides. There is momentum there, and I have hope that with the current momentum from both sides, we can really push the FIPA forward.

Canada-China Relations committee  I think what is happening in China now is going to affect every country in the world. I think it indicates that China as a market is getting more uncertain. It's getting riskier for Canada and for other countries because we will be trading with someone who lays stress not on profit but on political control.

Canada-China Relations committee  You are right. It is really very difficult to predict what a dictator would do. It's very unpredictable, the mindset of a dictator. It applies to Mr. Putin. It looks like China is becoming more and more under one man's control as a result of the 20th party congress. It would be very difficult to predict what Xi Jinping is going to do.

Canada-China Relations committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Disinformation is something we are encountering on a daily basis. Disinformation in Taiwan mostly comes from China. It's becoming so easy for disinformation to spread because of social media, and everyone has a cellphone now. We've developed a strategy to counterbalance the negative effect of disinformation.

Canada-China Relations committee  No. That's okay.

Canada-China Relations committee  I am not an economist, but from what I understand, Minister Champagne mentioned just a few days ago the building of an economic belt from New York to Montreal. I believe he's seen the strength of Montreal as an AI designing centre. This new economic belt, perhaps, is looking at electric vehicles.

Canada-China Relations committee  It's very inspiring to me. I think people-to-people diplomacy, or what you call the second track of diplomacy, is the backbone of relations. You cannot have a political relation without people-to-people relations. It would be so weak and vacuous. This people-to-people diplomacy or engagement has somehow been affected by the pandemic.

Canada-China Relations committee  The way I see it is that visits by parliamentary members to Taiwan—whether they come from Canada or from other countries—have been a matter of fact for many years. They only stopped because of the pandemic and because the border control regulations made it difficult for such a routine to happen.

Canada-China Relations committee  I do think so. I think the visits of foreign dignitaries or politicians to Taiwan to show their support are, I'm sorry to say, something that the PRC doesn't like to see. The reason they want to stop these kinds of visits is that they don't want the world to show their support for Taiwan.

Canada-China Relations committee  I think there are two pillars in Taiwan supporting Taiwan's continuous development: economic development and national development as a whole. This is about our economic growth. Robust economic growth is very important to Taiwan, because that will support us to better build our self-defence capabilities.