Taiwan's Vancouver Envoy Highlights Taiwan-Canada Indigenous Ties
Taiwan's top representative in Vancouver was the only foreign diplomat invited to speak at Canada's First Nations Tax Commission national conference, framing Taiwan as a close partner for Indigenous communities across the Pacific.
- Liu Li-hsin, head of Taiwan's Vancouver economic and cultural office, addressed over 100 Canadian Indigenous leaders, pointing to existing cooperation deals, including a 2022 agreement between the tax commission and a Taiwanese Indigenous forum, and joint founding membership in an international Indigenous trade pact.
- Recent projects include job-creation talks with First Nations in northwestern British Columbia and a partnership using Alberta-based Indigenous-led simulation and AI technology to help Taiwan's Indigenous communities plan for extreme weather.
- Liu noted Taiwan is barred from UN climate talks due to pressure from China, calling this a loss for global climate cooperation and urging Canada and other democracies to back Taiwan's participation in international bodies.
- She highlighted that Taiwan was the first in Asia to issue a formal government apology to Indigenous peoples, a point that drew strong applause from conference attendees.
- The tax commission's chief praised Taiwan's Indigenous economic vitality and floated deeper cooperation in small business, digital trade, and e-commerce between the two countries.
Outlook: Taiwan and Canada are expected to keep expanding Indigenous-focused economic and cultural cooperation as part of Canada's broader Indo-Pacific strategy.