Commonwealth—Taiwanese Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim restated that the country seeks to deepen security and technology collaboration with Canada in a high-level trip in Taipei on September 22. Hsiao hosted a Canadian national security delegation, led by retired defense chiefs Tom Lawson and Wayne Eyre, at the Presidential Office. The visit underscored the growing importance of Taiwan-Canada relations amid Indo-Pacific geopolitical tensions.
Hsiao reaffirmed that Taiwan and Canada have a strong and diverse relationship across key areas of economic cooperation, technological innovation, trade promotion, and partnership in resisting “gray zone” coercion—actions short of use of force but intended to destabilize or pressure a nation. Aside from these strategic interests, both parties have laid substantive relationships in culture and Indigenous affairs, something that reflects their desire for a joint undertaking that goes beyond common economic or military interests.
Matters of security and defense have been a central element in Taiwan’s foreign affairs with its friends these last few years, and Hsiao further asserted that strait peace and stability are vital not merely to Taiwan but also to world economic and strategic interests. Taiwan continues to stress that insecurity in the Taiwan Strait will have dire consequences for world trade, technology supply chains, and freedom of navigation. Canada has reaffirmed numerous times its devotion to peace in the area and to the concept of freedom of navigation, in addition to at multilateral forums like G7 summits.
The vice president pointed to a series of the latest developments, which are trending towards greater security and technology collaboration between Taiwan and Canada. The two countries signed last month a memorandum of agreement on a dark vessel detection system, a technology utilized in detecting vessels that do not report their whereabouts. The system is very useful in stopping illicit sea activity such as smuggling, pirating, and unauthorized naval operations. Hsiao also noted Canada’s attendance at the Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition that ended Sept. 20, during which Canadian industries exhibited cutting-edge anti-drone defense systems. The exhibits created new possibilities for bilateral collaboration on advanced defense systems and innovation.
Hsiao further stated that the cooperation between Taiwan and Canada is beyond defense or security and includes sectors and industries with huge possibilities to grow in the future. The two have recognized the potential of expanding more joint ventures and research collaboration in the fields of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and renewable energy, among others. These are national security-inclined sectors, as new technologies are at the forefront of economic resilience and defense readiness.
The summit served as a reminder of the common democratic values and strategic interests that form the foundation of Taiwan-Canada relations. The two governments value working together to respond to regional challenges, including the rise in coercive action and the importance of maintaining an international rules-based order. Through cooperation, Taiwan and Canada aim to strengthen their capacity to resist new threats while promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
Lastly, Hsiao mentioned Taiwan’s willingness to extend closer cooperation with Canada in the domains of the old as well as the new. The two friends are prepared to overcome the challenges posed by increasingly fluid international relations, ranging from innovative defense technology to cooperative actions in regional security promotion. The trip of the Canadian team emphasized the momentum of a connection of this sort, based on a resolute reciprocal interest in innovation, security, and peace maintenance in one of the most geopolitically strategic regions of the world.
