Former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) arrived in Canada the evening of the 20th, and attended a welcome luncheon organized by Taiwanese compatriots in Canada.
In an address at the event, Tsai thanked overseas Taiwanese for their support during her time in office, and the many ways that they championed Taiwan's causes in the Canadian sphere. She specifically called out an example from May of this year, where Taiwanese compatriots held an event in downtown Toronto to bring attention and support to Taiwan’s bid to join the World Health Assembly by touting the country’s contributions in public health and medicine.
The majority of Tsai’s speech urged Taiwanese compatriots to continue their efforts this time by supporting Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership– an important trading bloc which would open economic pathways for the country. In a welcome speech, Overseas Community Affairs Council member Huang Huang-yu (黃煌裕), described Tsai’s arrival, the first in-person visit of a former Taiwanese president to the overseas community in Toronto, as a “history-making moment”.
Tsai is in Canada at the invitation of the Halifax International Security Forum (HISF), for which she will deliver the keynote speech at this year’s convention. The 2024 HISF will run from November 22 to the 24, attracting many foreign dignitaries from the United States, Canada, and Europe among others, as attendees.