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Beijing blasts Ottawa over MPs’ visits to Taiwan<\/strong> From Friday’s Globe and Mail<\/p>\n May 11, 2007 at 1:30 AM EDT<\/p>\n BEIJING \u2014 China slammed Canada for \u201cdamaging Sino-Canadian relations\u201d by allowing MPs to visit Taiwan, an issue it raised privately with Foreign Minister Peter MacKay during his recent visit, The Globe and Mail has learned.<\/p>\n Despite a clear warning from Beijing that relations will suffer if the steady stream of visits continues, the federal government said it has no intention of cracking down on MP travel to Taiwan.<\/p>\n The spat over the Taiwan visits is the latest rift in Sino-Canadian relations, already strained by spy allegations and the Chinese imprisonment of Canadian citizen Huseyin Celil.<\/p>\n China voiced its unhappiness with the Taiwan visits during a meeting in Beijing last week between Mr. MacKay and his counterpart, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, The Globe has learned. <\/p>\n China blasted Canada again on the issue yesterday, alleging that the MPs who visit Taiwan are \u201cdamaging Sino-Canadian relations and stability in the Taiwan Strait.\u201d<\/p>\n China still considers Taiwan to be a renegade province that must be reunited with the mainland, and takes offence at any gestures that lend it credibility as a sovereign nation. Pro-Taiwan organizations have spent tens of thousands of dollars to sponsor visits to Taiwan by Canadian MPs in recent years, including 18 MPs who visited Taiwan in 2005.<\/p>\n Taiwan was the most popular destination among MPs who accepted sponsored trips in 2005. The trips continued last year, with another nine MPs travelling to Taiwan to hold meetings with Taiwan’s top leaders last July. And several cabinet ministers have attended functions at Taiwan’s economic and cultural office in Ottawa.<\/p>\n In an interview, Mr. MacKay confirmed that the Chinese officials had \u201cexpressed their displeasure\u201d at the number of Canadian MPs who have visited Taiwan in recent years.<\/p>\n \u201cI know they would prefer that that’s not the case,\u201d Mr. MacKay said, \u201cbut we’re not going to limit individual MPs in unofficial capacities from visiting Taiwan.\u201d<\/p>\n Jay Hill, the chief government whip, was one of the MPs who visited Taiwan last year and met the Taiwanese President, Chen Shui-bian. He rejected China’s criticism of the visits. \u201cThese trips by MPs to Taiwan are unofficial and take place during break weeks from Parliament,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cOur government has no intention of officially discouraging this type of international interaction by MPs. It’s completely within China’s rights to raise the issue if they so choose, but that will not affect our position.\u201d<\/p>\n China, however, strongly disagreed with the Conservative government’s view that the MPs are merely making unofficial visits. \u201cAs elected representatives in Parliament, no matter what they call it, their visits to Taiwan are of an official nature and constitute official contact,\u201d the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement in response to questions from The Globe and Mail.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is what China has always resolutely opposed,\u201d it said. \u201cThe acts of some Canadian parliamentarians not only violate the one-China policy that the Canadian government has repeatedly reiterated, but will also be used by the Taiwan authorities to promote their separatist activities of \u2018two Chinas’ and \u2018one China, one Taiwan,’ thus damaging Sino-Canadian relations and the stability in the Taiwan Strait.\u201d<\/p>\n The statement added that Canada should \u201cnot have official contacts and exchanges in any form with Taiwan.\u201d<\/p>\n Taiwan, meanwhile, complained that China is using pressure tactics to try to reduce Canada’s contacts with Taiwan. \u201cChina is always pushing to isolate Taiwan, on every occasion,\u201d said Meng Fan-peng, a spokesman for the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office \u2013 the unofficial Taiwanese embassy in Ottawa.<\/p>\n Taiwan will continue to invite MPs to the island \u201cto exchange ideas and to promote understanding between Canada and Taiwan,\u201d he said. \u201cWe will do our own business.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr. MacKay, for his part, said the visits by the MPs do not constitute a change in Canada’s relationship with Taiwan. \u201cThere have been no changes in the relationship, and we have not officially recognized Taiwan ever,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have a one-China policy, and that was what I reiterated to Minister Yang.\u201d<\/p>\n Travel paid for by non-governmental organizations<\/p>\n The parliamentary Ethics Commissioner has rules on MP travel, and each year prepares a report on trips paid for by organizations other than the government. These are some of the findings:<\/p>\n $500<\/p>\n Maximum amount a third party can pay toward a trip by an MP without it being declared to the Office of the Ethics Commissioner.<\/p>\n 69<\/p>\n Number of such trips that were declared in 2006.<\/p>\n 29<\/p>\n The number of such trips that were to Taiwan, the No. 1 destination.<\/p>\n 7<\/p>\n The number of such trips that were to Israel, the No. 2 destination.<\/p>\n 3<\/p>\n Number of MPs whose travel accounts for 25 per cent of such trips.<\/p>\n Source: Report to the House of Commons on Sponsored Travel <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u73af\u7403\u90ae\u62a55\u670811\u65e5\u5934\u7248\/ Beijing blasts Ottawa over MPs’ visits to Taiwan Continued trips harm relationship already strained by human rights, spy allegation…
\nContinued trips harm relationship already strained by human rights, spy allegations
\nGEOFFREY YORK <\/p>\n
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