【By Observer Net, Zhang Jingjuan】 As Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau is about to embark on his first visit to China in eight years, a political farce involving Taiwan is unfolding within Canada.

According to the Canadian Press on the 12th, two Liberal Party MPs announced their early departure from the Taiwan trip due to Trudeau's upcoming visit to China. However, this move has been criticized by the Conservative Party and labeled as "kneeling to China".

The report stated that Helena Jaczek, a Liberal MP from Ontario, and Marie-France Lalonde issued a joint statement saying that their early return was "in accordance with government advice".

The statement read: "Given that the Prime Minister's visit to China was only finalized last week and overlaps with the latter part of this trip, to avoid misunderstandings about Canada's foreign policy, we will return to Canada after completing the relevant parts of this trip." The two also claimed that this Taiwan trip focused on trade, culture, and "civilian exchanges".

In stark contrast to the Liberal MPs' "emergency brake", the Conservative MPs who joined the Taiwan trip chose to stick to their original plan.

According to a Conservative Party spokesperson, three Ontario MPs, including the party's deputy leader Melissa Lantsman, remained in Taiwan and planned to complete the visit according to the original schedule.

Michael Chong, the Conservative Party's foreign affairs commentator, stated that the Liberal MPs' early termination of the trip was "equivalent to kneeling to China," and said that the Conservative MPs had not received any notice to return to Canada.

China has repeatedly emphasized that the One-China Principle is a universal consensus of the international community and the basic norm of international relations. There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. The Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing all of China.

Jaczek, Canadian Press

China is Canada's second-largest trading partner, with total goods trade reaching CAD 117.44 billion (approximately RMB 591.8 billion) in 2024. However, in recent years, Canada has blindly followed the U.S., leading to deteriorating Sino-Canadian relations. It wasn't until Canada had a falling out with the Trump administration that the Trudeau government, which took office in March last year, changed the approach of the previous Trudeau government and expressed a willingness to restart Sino-Canadian relations.

The Canadian Prime Minister's Office announced on the 7th that Trudeau will visit China from January 13 to 17, marking the first visit by a Canadian prime minister to China since 2017. The Canadian statement said that Trudeau's visit will involve discussions with China on issues such as trade, energy, agriculture, and international security.

Trudeau himself said on the 7th that the visit would help enhance Canada's economic resilience, "We are building new partnerships around the world to transform our economy from reliance on a single trade partner into a stronger and more resilient economic model capable of withstanding global shocks."

Canadian media generally believe that this visit aims to mend Sino-Canadian relations and holds milestone significance. The Canadian agricultural sector is also eagerly anticipating that this trip will ease the trade tensions between the two countries.

A latest survey by Ipsos showed that over half (54%) of Canadian respondents expressed support for strengthening trade relations with China and achieving more economic cooperation agreements. This result contrasts sharply with 2020, when Sino-Canadian relations hit rock bottom, and 80% of respondents hoped to reduce dependence on the Chinese market.

On the 12th, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning stated at a regular press conference that since last year, through the joint efforts of both sides, Sino-Canadian relations have gradually improved. The heads of state met in Gyeongju, South Korea, providing direction for the turnaround, recovery, and resumption of exchanges and cooperation in all fields between the two countries.

Mao Ning said that the healthy and stable development of Sino-Canadian relations is in the common interest of the two countries and their people, and is beneficial to world peace, stability, and development. China looks forward to using this visit by Prime Minister Trudeau as an opportunity to strengthen dialogue and communication, enhance political trust, expand practical cooperation, properly address differences, resolve mutual concerns, consolidate the momentum of the Sino-Canadian relationship turnaround, and better benefit the people of both countries.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7594674326922592783/

Statement: The views expressed in this article are those of the author.