Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government will ensure MPs consider all possible consequences of a business trip to Taiwan.
The House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade is seeking budget approval to visit the island nation east of China this fall.
However, there are fears that the trip could escalate tensions with China, which condemned a visit to Taipei by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi earlier this month.
China considers the island of Taiwan its territory and Beijing has imposed sanctions on Ms Pelosi in retaliation for her visit and has held military exercises across the country.
Trudeau said Friday that MPs make their own decisions about their committee studies and the trips they take.
“There are important discussions underway at the moment,” he said at a press conference in the Magdalen Islands.
Trudeau has expressed concern about China’s growing aggressiveness toward Taiwan, but is confident in the committee’s judgment.
“I know that the parliamentary committee will think carefully with all the facts and all the analysis that they will receive to make the right decision for Canada and for the world,” said the Prime Minister.
In English, he said that his government will ensure that parliamentarians make the decision whether or not to travel having taken into account the consequences and impacts of such a visit.
The international trade committee hopes to visit both Taiwan and Singapore during a trade mission, although the House of Commons has yet to approve a budget for the trip.
NDP MP and committee member Brian Masse argued earlier this week that Canadians “need to support other democracies that have fought for their rights and freedoms.”
Randy Hoback, Conservative MP and vice-chair of the committee, said MPs from a Canada-Taiwan parliamentary “friendship group” used to visit Taiwan about twice a year before COVID-19 hit. does not restrict movement.
Mr. Hoback has already visited the island, located about 160 kilometers off the coast of southeast China, with the group.
But this time, the Conservative MP wants to consult Global Affairs Canada before making the trip.
“There is no intention on my part to upset China,” he said on Wednesday.
During Ms Pelosi’s visit, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly urged China to defuse tensions, saying lawmakers often make international visits and they should not be used to justify China’s decision. China to hold military exercises.
A spokeswoman for Ms. Joly said earlier this week that parliamentary associations and friendship groups travel regularly and that she respects their independence.
“Canada continues to have strong and growing trade and people-to-people ties with Taiwan,” said Emily Williams. Canada is committed to upholding the rules that have ensured peace and stability for decades, including throughout the Indo-Pacific region. »
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada said it would lend its “full support” to the parliamentary committee for a visit that would allow conversations to continue on issues such as trade and investment, education and technology.