Two Liberal members of Parliament ended their Taiwan visit early Monday, citing government advice as Prime Minister Mark Carney prepared for a diplomatic mission to China.
Ontario MPs Helena Jaczek and Marie-France Lalonde departed Taiwan after participating in a government-sponsored delegation that included meetings with Taiwanese officials and cultural exchanges. The lawmakers said they acted on government guidance to prevent confusion about Canadian foreign policy during Carney’s overlapping trip to Beijing.
“As this portion of the visit concludes, informed by advice from the government, we are returning home,” the MPs said in a joint statement. “It’s important that we avoid confusion with Canada’s foreign policy, given the overlap with the prime minister’s engagement in Beijing, which was only confirmed last week.”
The lawmakers stressed that their Taiwan visit centered on trade and cultural ties, noting Canada’s policy toward Taiwan has not shifted.
Deputy Conservative leader Melissa Lantsman and MPs Adam Chambers and Shelby Kramp-Neuman stayed to finish the scheduled activities. Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong criticized the Liberal lawmakers’ early departure.
“Ordering elected representatives home to avoid offending an authoritarian regime sends a clear message: convenience comes before principle,” Chong said in a statement.
The prime minister departed on Tuesday for a visit to China, which will run through Saturday, with plans to meet with President Xi Jinping and address trade and security matters. The journey marks the first visit to China by a Canadian prime minister since 2017.
China claims Taiwan as its territory and opposes foreign officials visiting the island. Trade tensions also loom: Canada imposed 100% tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in 2024, prompting Beijing to hit back with tariffs on Canadian canola.
Taiwan ranks as Canada’s sixth-largest trading partner in Asia and 15th globally, according to Global Affairs Canada.
Canada criticized Chinese military exercises near Taiwan on January 1, calling for the waterway to remain peaceful and accessible.
In a February 2022 House of Commons committee meeting, Weldon Epp, now assistant deputy minister for Indo-Pacific affairs at Global Affairs Canada, said Canada’s policy toward Taiwan is “strategically ambiguous” by design, allowing the country to pursue trade, education, and research ties through “a very ambiguous and flexible approach” while managing its relationship with Beijing.
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