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The federal Conservatives are accusing the Liberals of rewarding “Beijing’s intimidation” after some parliamentarians on a trip to Taiwan decided to return earlier than planned.
Two Liberal MPs say they are leaving Taiwan “informed by advice from the government.” The parliamentary delegation to Taiwan, which includes MPs from multiple parties, overlaps with the prime minister’s trip to China.
Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to embark on a four-day trip to China this week, intended to reset relations with the foreign power. It will be the first visit from a Canadian prime minister since 2017 and will include a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong accused the Liberals of acquiescing to Chinese pressure.
“Two Liberal MPs cutting short a visit to Taiwan because of pressure from government officials is nothing short of kowtowing to Beijing’s authoritarianism,” Chong said in a statement.
“This kind of retreat weakens our democracy, our relationship with Taiwan.”
Liberal MPs Helena Jaczek and Marie-France Lalonde were on the trip along with three Conservative MPs: Melissa Lantsman, Adam Chambers and Shelby Kramp-Neuman.
MPs say they want to ‘avoid confusion’
The trip was sponsored by the government of Taiwan, and included meetings with Taiwanese officials.
“As this portion of the visit concludes, informed by advice from the government, we are returning home,” the two Liberal MPs said in a statement.
“It’s important that we avoid confusion with Canada’s foreign policy, given the overlap with the prime minister’s engagement in Beijing, which was only confirmed last week.”
The Taiwanese government says it has placed its forces on alert as China intensifies its military presence in the Indo-Pacific Ocean and launches air, navy and rocket drills around the island.
The decision comes at a time of heightened tension between Beijing and Taiwan. The Chinese government claims sovereignty over democratically governed Taiwan, and the communist leadership has not excluded military intervention.
News of the Liberal MPs leaving the trip early was first reported by the Globe and Mail.
The Conservative MPs plan to finish the scheduled trip. Chong’s statement said the Conservative MPs were not asked to return home.
The statement from Jaczek and Lalonde says that Canada’s position on Taiwan has not changed. Canada follows the “One China” policy, a diplomatic stance that acknowledges China’s claim that Taiwan is a part of China, but maintains unofficial relations with Taiwan.
Canadian parliamentarians visit Taiwan regularly, with the travel often sponsored by the foreign government.
