Canadian Trade Office in Taipei
Encyclopedia
The Canadian Trade Office in Taipei (CTOT) is Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

's representation
Trade office
A trade office, sometimes known as a trade representation, commercial office, or trade mission, is an official establishment that promotes the commercial interests of a government in a foreign capital. The head of such an establishment is typically called a trade representative or commercial...

 in the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...

 (Taiwan).

History

Canada and the People's Republic of China (PRC) signed a joint communiqué marking the establishment of diplomatic relations on October 13, 1970. In the text, Canada recognises the PRC government as the "sole legal government of China" and "takes note" of China's position that Taiwan is an "inalienable part of the territory" of the PRC. The language of the communiqué does not indicate active Canadian assent to the PRC's claim to Taiwan. However, given the stance of the PRC government that countries with which it has diplomatic relations refrain from official relations with the Republic of China, Canada is forced to make its dealings with Taipei surreptitious. Thus, Canada does not have an embassy or Consulate General/Consulate in Taiwan, but instead has an officially unofficial "trade office."

The CTOT started operations on November 28, 1986. Staff were initially drawn from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, but the CTOT is now fully funded by the Government of Canada and staffed by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada and Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Citizenship and Immigration Canada is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for issues dealing with immigration and citizenship...

. Despite its name, it is not very different from any Canadian Embassy. The CTOT does everything from issuing Canadian visas to promoting tourism in Canada. In addition, there are also provincial representatives from the Governments of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

 and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

.

The ROC, likewise, is represented in Canada by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, which has established offices in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver. The Taiwan External Trade Development Council
Taiwan External Trade Development Council
The Taiwan External Trade Development Council is a non-profit government co-sponsored trade promotion organization in the Republic of China founded in 1970...

 (TAITRA) has operated non-governmental trade offices in Canada since the creation of the Far East Trade Services in Montreal in 1970.

See also

  • Foreign relations of Canada
    Foreign relations of Canada
    The foreign relations of Canada are Canada's relations with other governments and peoples. Canada's most important relationship, being the largest trading relationship in the world, is with the United States...

  • Foreign relations of Taiwan
  • Political status of Taiwan
    Political status of Taiwan
    The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu should remain effectively independent as territory of the Republic of China , become unified with the territories now governed by the People's Republic of China , or formally declare...


Footnotes

  1. Mackerras, Colin and Amanda Yorke. The Cambridge Handbook of Contemporary China (New York: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, 1991). 152. ISBN 0-521-38755-8

External links

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