Friday, May 27, 2022
No Result
View All Result
  • Media
Support Us
Macdonald-Laurier Institute
  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Who Makes MLI Work
    • Tenth Anniversary
    • Jobs
  • Experts
  • Issues
    • Domestic Policy Program
      • Agriculture and Agri-Food
      • Canada’s Political Tradition
      • Economic policy
      • Energy
      • Health Care
      • Justice
      • Social issues
      • Social licence
    • Foreign Policy Program
      • Foreign Affairs
      • National Defence
      • National Security
    • Indigenous Affairs Program
  • Projects
    • COVID and after: A mandate for recovery
    • COVID Misery Index
      • Beyond Lockdown
    • Provincial COVID Misery Index
    • Centre for Advancing Canada’s Interests Abroad
      • Dragon at the Door
      • The Eavesdropping Dragon: Huawei
    • An Intellectual Property Strategy for Canada
    • Speak for Ourselves
    • Canada and the Indo-Pacific Initiative
    • DisInfoWatch.org
    • The Transatlantic Program
    • Indigenous Prosperity at a Crossroads
      • Aboriginal Canada and Natural Resources
    • Talkin’ in the Free World with Mariam Memarsadeghi
    • Past Projects
      • Justice Report Card
      • Munk Senior Fellows
      • A Mandate for Canada
      • Confederation Series
      • Fiscal Reform
      • The Canadian Century project
      • Fixing Canadian health care
      • Internal trade
      • From a mandate for change
      • Size of government in Canada
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Past Events
      • MLI Dinners
      • Great Canadian Debates
  • Latest News
  • Libraries
    • Inside Policy Magazine
      • Inside Policy Back Issues
      • Inside Policy Blog
    • Papers
    • Columns
    • Books
    • Commentary
    • Straight Talk
    • Video
    • Multimedia
    • Podcasts
    • Leading Economic Indicator
    • Labour Market Report
    • MLI in the Media
  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Who Makes MLI Work
    • Tenth Anniversary
    • Jobs
  • Experts
  • Issues
    • Domestic Policy Program
      • Agriculture and Agri-Food
      • Canada’s Political Tradition
      • Economic policy
      • Energy
      • Health Care
      • Justice
      • Social issues
      • Social licence
    • Foreign Policy Program
      • Foreign Affairs
      • National Defence
      • National Security
    • Indigenous Affairs Program
  • Projects
    • COVID and after: A mandate for recovery
    • COVID Misery Index
      • Beyond Lockdown
    • Provincial COVID Misery Index
    • Centre for Advancing Canada’s Interests Abroad
      • Dragon at the Door
      • The Eavesdropping Dragon: Huawei
    • An Intellectual Property Strategy for Canada
    • Speak for Ourselves
    • Canada and the Indo-Pacific Initiative
    • DisInfoWatch.org
    • The Transatlantic Program
    • Indigenous Prosperity at a Crossroads
      • Aboriginal Canada and Natural Resources
    • Talkin’ in the Free World with Mariam Memarsadeghi
    • Past Projects
      • Justice Report Card
      • Munk Senior Fellows
      • A Mandate for Canada
      • Confederation Series
      • Fiscal Reform
      • The Canadian Century project
      • Fixing Canadian health care
      • Internal trade
      • From a mandate for change
      • Size of government in Canada
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Past Events
      • MLI Dinners
      • Great Canadian Debates
  • Latest News
  • Libraries
    • Inside Policy Magazine
      • Inside Policy Back Issues
      • Inside Policy Blog
    • Papers
    • Columns
    • Books
    • Commentary
    • Straight Talk
    • Video
    • Multimedia
    • Podcasts
    • Leading Economic Indicator
    • Labour Market Report
    • MLI in the Media
No Result
View All Result
Macdonald-Laurier Institute

It’s time for Canada to rethink its decades-long caution on Taiwan: New MLI report

September 6, 2018
in Centre for Advancing Canada's Interests Abroad, Eric Lerhe, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy Program, Highlights, Indo-Pacific, Latest News, Papers, Releases, Security and defence - papers
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A

OTTAWA, ON (September 6, 2018): A lot has happened since the Pierre Trudeau government recognized the People’s Republic of China back in 1970, but Canada has not yet shown it’s willing to modernize its approach to Taiwan to keep up with the changing times.

The current approach remains heavily rooted in an outdated “One-China” policy initially designed to coax the People’s Republic out of isolationism and sideline a Taiwanese dictatorship. Now, China is an increasingly belligerent world power, and Taiwan a threatened democracy that closely shares Canada’s values and interests.

With that in mind, MLI has released a new report titled Rethinking the Taiwan Question: How Canada can update its rigid “One-China” policy for the 21st century.

Authored by MLI Munk Senior Fellow Dr. Eric Lerhe, former Commander of the Canadian Pacific Fleet, this paper examines the origins and evolution of Canada’s approach to the One-China policy, as well as the approaches of some of our major Western allies. Lerhe finds that while there is no one size fits all approach to China and Taiwan, Canada does have a fair bit of room to liberalize dealings with Taipei, particularly as it relates to security collaboration.

“Canada has largely continued its decades-long caution on all aspects of its very limited relationship with Taiwan,” writes Lerhe, “A very strong case can be made for a complete review of Canada’s one-China policy.”

Lerhe’s work suggests that, with a growing number of states wanting to send a clear signal to China for not responding to engagement and taking increasingly risky action against Taiwan, it’s time for Canada to join these efforts as well.

While any effort to improve cooperation with Taiwan must be done with skill and a full understanding of the risks involved, this paper sets out a number of very achievable recommendations, such as increasing our naval presence in the region, joining multinational military exercises which could include Taiwan, and pursuing limited intelligence-sharing agreements.

Furthermore, the paper addresses a number of non-security issues, including expanding diplomatic ties, reducing restrictions on Canadian officials’ visits to Taiwan and related conferences, and working with our allies to extend membership to Taiwan in international bodies.

The full report is available here.

With Taiwan’s security situation under even greater threat since the election of the pro-independence Tsai government in 2016, there is a clear opportunity for Canada to stand up in defence of democracy and show leadership on the world stage.

“At least five Western nations are ready to ally and confront China when its conduct is particularly egregious. Canada needs to support this group,” says Lerhe.

While China may react with some hyperbolic outrage to the policy changes recommended in the paper, Lerhe points out that almost all recommendations are based on policies already successfully pursued by our allies.

Moreover, Lerhe concludes: “Doing nothing to defend a threatened democracy signals that Canada, a fellow middle power, is also ready to, however briefly, cease defending the rules-based international order that has protected it and allowed it to prosper these last seventy years.”

To learn more about Canada’s approach to the One-China policy and why it’s past time to rethink our engagement with Taiwan, read the full report here.

***

Dr. Eric Lerhe is a Munk Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. He formerly served as a Commodore in the Royal Canadian Navy as well as the Commander of the Canadian Fleet Pacific.

For more information please contact:

Brett Byers-Lane
Communications and Digital Media Manager
613-482-8327 x105
brett.byers-lane@macdonaldlaurier.ca

Tags: ChinaEric LerheForeign AffairsTaiwan
Previous Post

Work is a benefit unto itself: Sean Speer in Postmedia Network

Next Post

It’s time to leverage Canada’s energy advantage into a geopolitical one, too: Shuvaloy Majumdar in Maclean’s

Related Posts

Photo by Clark H, via Flickr.
Foreign Policy Program

Canada must boost its security apparatus against China and Russia: Charles Burton in the Ottawa Citizen

May 26, 2022
Elites’ attacks on Pierre Poilievre only make him stronger: Aaron Wudrick in the National Post
Domestic Policy Program

Elites’ attacks on Pierre Poilievre only make him stronger: Aaron Wudrick in the National Post

May 26, 2022
An age of global realignments: The Indo-Pacific
Indo-Pacific

Modern lessons for Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy: Andrew Erskine for Inside Policy

May 25, 2022
Next Post
It’s time to leverage Canada’s energy advantage into a geopolitical one, too: Shuvaloy Majumdar in Maclean’s

It’s time to leverage Canada’s energy advantage into a geopolitical one, too: Shuvaloy Majumdar in Maclean's

Macdonald-Laurier Institute

323 Chapel Street, Suite #300
Ottawa, Ontario
K1N 7Z2 Canada

613.482.8327

info@macdonaldlaurier.ca
MLI directory

Follow us on

Newsletter Signup

First Name
Last Name
Email Address

Support Us

Support the Macdonald-Laurier Institute to help ensure that Canada is one of the best governed countries in the world. Click below to learn more or become a sponsor.

Support Us

Inside Policy Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Back Issues
  • Advertising
  • Inside Policy Blog
  • Privacy Policy

© 2021 Macdonald-Laurier Institute. All Rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Who Makes MLI Work
    • Tenth Anniversary
    • Jobs
  • Experts
  • Issues
    • Domestic Policy Program
      • Agriculture and Agri-Food
      • Canada’s Political Tradition
      • Economic policy
      • Energy
      • Health Care
      • Justice
      • Social issues
      • Social licence
    • Foreign Policy Program
      • Foreign Affairs
      • National Defence
      • National Security
    • Indigenous Affairs Program
  • Projects
    • COVID and after: A mandate for recovery
    • COVID Misery Index
      • Beyond Lockdown
    • Provincial COVID Misery Index
    • Centre for Advancing Canada’s Interests Abroad
      • Dragon at the Door
      • The Eavesdropping Dragon: Huawei
    • An Intellectual Property Strategy for Canada
    • Speak for Ourselves
    • Canada and the Indo-Pacific Initiative
    • DisInfoWatch.org
    • The Transatlantic Program
    • Indigenous Prosperity at a Crossroads
      • Aboriginal Canada and Natural Resources
    • Talkin’ in the Free World with Mariam Memarsadeghi
    • Past Projects
      • Justice Report Card
      • Munk Senior Fellows
      • A Mandate for Canada
      • Confederation Series
      • Fiscal Reform
      • The Canadian Century project
      • Fixing Canadian health care
      • Internal trade
      • From a mandate for change
      • Size of government in Canada
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Past Events
      • MLI Dinners
      • Great Canadian Debates
  • Latest News
  • Libraries
    • Inside Policy Magazine
      • Inside Policy Back Issues
      • Inside Policy Blog
    • Papers
    • Columns
    • Books
    • Commentary
    • Straight Talk
    • Video
    • Multimedia
    • Podcasts
    • Leading Economic Indicator
    • Labour Market Report
    • MLI in the Media

© 2021 Macdonald-Laurier Institute. All Rights reserved.

IDEAS CHANGE THE WORLD!Have the latest Canadian thought leadership delivered straight to your inbox.
First Name
Last Name
Email address

No thanks, I’m not interested.