The 13th annual Taiwan-Canada Economic Consultations concluded Oct. 3 in Ottawa, with the two sides further advancing close two-way economic ties and devising strategies for joint market cooperation under the New Southbound Policy.
 
Taiwan’s and Canada’s representations at the one-day event were headed by Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua and Assistant Deputy Minister Donald Bobiash, Asia-Pacific for Global Affairs Canada, respectively. Their discussions spanned such subjects such as education, indigenous peoples, industry collaboration, innovation, investment, trade, youth exchanges and women’s participation in related areas.
 
Taiwan and Canada share the values of mutual assistance for mutual benefits, Wang said. This is underscored by the increasing and deepening of cooperation between the two nations, she added.
 
According to Wang, the timing of the consultations is opportune as the government is devoting greater efforts to promoting the five-plus-two innovative industries initiative. This undertaking, which aims to revitalize the national economy, dovetails with the Canadian government’s policy of developing the North American country’s aerospace, clean energy, communications and medical technology industries, she said.
 
One highlight was the attention paid by both sides to exploring opportunities for achieving win-win-win outcomes in the 18 target countries under the New Southbound Policy. A central plank in the government’s national development strategy, the policy seeks to deepen Taiwan’s agricultural, business, cultural, education, trade and tourism links with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand.
 
The day before, Wang inked a letter of intent on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs with GaN Systems Inc., an Ottawa-headquartered international provider of gallium nitride power transistors.
 
Under the pact, the MOEA and GaN will join in rolling out the economic and technical benefits of the latter’s technology to Taiwan’s electronics companies. This alliance is expected to play a key role in better managing power consumption, combatting climate change and reducing greenhouse gases.
 
This year’s consultation is an important platform for Taiwan and Canada to engage in dialogue and share information, the MOEA said, adding that it looks forward to both nations exploring more opportunities for public-private collaboration going forward.
 
The consultations are a platform for setting joint priorities relating to investment, innovation, market access, research and other forms of economic engagement. They are instrumental in guiding Taiwan-Canada relations and have delivered numerous arrangements and memorandums of understanding across a variety of sectors. (KWS-E)
 
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