Canadian Quebec Party's first Taiwan visit in 33 years, Lai eyes AI, semiconductor ties

President Lai Ching‑te met today at the Presidential Office with a delegation of members of parliament from Canada’s Quebec Group Party. The two sides engaged in an in‑depth dialogue on cooperation in trade, technology and democratic values. This marks the first time since the party’s founding in 1991 that it has organized a parliamentary visit to Taiwan, symbolising a major breakthrough in parliamentary diplomacy and substantive interaction between the two sides. President Lai expressed a warm welcome and said he hopes Taiwan and Canada can further deepen partnerships in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, aerospace and critical minerals, thereby strengthening the resilience of global supply chains within the democratic camp.

The Quebec Group Party, a federal‑level political party in Canada that has long advocated for the rights and cultural development of Quebec, undertook the overseas visit to Taiwan both to acknowledge Taiwan’s democratic achievements and to highlight Taiwan’s strategic importance in the Indo‑Pacific region. In his remarks, President Lai noted that Taiwan and Canada share core values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law, and that the two countries should cooperate more closely as they confront the current complex shifts in international geopolitics. The arrival of the delegation lays a deeper popular and political foundation for future bilateral relations and raises Taiwan’s international visibility in North America.

Regarding concrete industry cooperation, President Lai singled out artificial intelligence and aerospace as core drivers of future global economic development. He pointed out that Taiwan possesses a complete semiconductor manufacturing and ICT ecosystem, while Canada boasts world‑leading capabilities in basic scientific research, AI algorithm development and aerospace technology. By combining Taiwan’s hardware manufacturing strengths with Canada’s software R&D capacity, both sides could create a mutually beneficial win‑win situation. In addition, as the world pushes for net‑zero transitions, securing renewable‑energy and critical‑mineral supply chains has become urgent. Taiwan looks forward to establishing a robust and resilient cooperation mechanism with Canada in these areas.

In recent years, economic and official interactions between Taiwan and Canada have continued to warm, especially after the two sides formally signed an Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement at the end of last year, which provides more comprehensive legal safeguards for mutually beneficial corporate investment. The current visit by Canadian parliamentarians not only underscores cross‑party friendship for Taiwan in Canada’s political arena but also reflects the international community’s heightened concern for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Amid the global reshaping of supply chains, Canada’s abundant natural resources and strong democratic institutions make its economic‑security complementarity with Taiwan increasingly pronounced; high‑level exchanges such as this help translate dialogue into concrete policy implementation.

Looking ahead, Taiwan will keep deepening substantive cooperation with like‑minded nations to defend democratic values and economic security through concrete action. The Presidential Office hopes that the Quebec Group Party visit will enable more Canadian political and civil‑society leaders to gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s current development and strategic significance. Whether in trade and investment, technological innovation or participation in international organisations, Taiwan is ready to play a more active role, working together with Canada and other democratic partners to promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo‑Pacific region.

(Source: Central News Agency)