Senator Michael L. MacDonald, cochair of the Canada-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group, visited Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che with a Canadian delegation on Feb. 22. The two parties talked about culture, industries, and city diplomacy. Tainan City’s Department of Information and International Relations Director-General Su En-en was present, along with a couple of Presbyterian Church representatives.
The Mayor expressed gratitude to Senator MacDonald and the Canadian Senate for their long-term support of Taiwan. Tainan is a city where the old meets the new and traditional and high-tech industries coexist, according to Mayor Huang, and its rich and diverse delicacies, religions, and cultures never disappoint tourists. Furthermore, technology behemoths, such as TSMC which dominate the global semiconductor industry chain, have also set up factories in the Southern Taiwan Science Park, demonstrating the competitiveness of the city.
Tainan, Taiwan’s oldest city and Cultural Capital, cordially invites our Canadian friends to come experience the ancient city’s diverse appeal as well as its past and memories. In addition to facilitating more interactions with Canadian cities in culture, trade, and other aspects, the Mayor looks forward to maintaining peace, stability, and openness in the Asia-Pacific region with allies who share similar values.
Senator Michael MacDonald remarked that this is his first visit to Tainan, despite having traveled to Taiwan four times prior. His initial impression of the city is its convenient transportation: the high-speed rail makes Tainan easily accessible from other cities in Taiwan and travelers can enjoy pleasant scenery along the way. As Taiwan’s oldest capital, Tainan is the starting point of numerous cultures and historical events. MacDonald stated that he is happy to help further collaborations between Canadian cities and Tainan City after learning about the city’s features and strengths. Additionally, because this stay in Tainan is brief, he wishes to return someday to enjoy the many historical sites and local cuisine.
Senator MacDonald emphasized that the delegation’s primary purpose is to convey the friendly support of Canada for Taiwan. He is aware that Taiwan has overcome challenges brought forth by different regimes and historical events and successfully transformed into a model of mature democracy in Asia, and Canada is willing to work with Taiwan and Tainan to defend this hard-won democracy and freedom.
This delegation of Canadian senators includes Michael L. Macdonald, cochair of the Canada-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group, Senator Donald Neil Plett of the Conservative Party of Canada, and Senator John M. McNair. While in Taiwan, the group attended the HFX Taipei and visited Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao and the Legislative Yuan.