Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

China warns of 'forceful measures' if Canada interferes in Taiwan

Share
OTTAWA -

China warned it will take "forceful measures" if Canada interferes in Taiwan, a week after it emerged that a delegation of Canadian parliamentarians was planning to visit the island later this year to explore trade opportunities.

China claims Taiwan as its territory under its "one-China principle" and objects to foreign politicians visiting the island. Democratically governed Taiwan rejects China's claims.

"We urge the Canadian side to abide by the one-China principle and respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the Chinese embassy in Canada said in a statement sent late Tuesday.

"China will take resolute and forceful measures against any country that attempts to interfere with or infringe upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the Chinese embassy said.

Members of a Canada-Taiwan parliamentary "friendship group," which does not receive administrative or financial support from the Canadian parliament, had been planning to visit the self-ruled island in October, Liberal Member of Parliament Judy Sgro said last week.

Sgro said the trip would focus on trade and the lawmakers intent was not to disrupt and cause problems for Taiwan or with China.

In a statement, Canada's government said parliamentary associations and friendship groups were independent, and it respected the lawmakers' intent to visit Taiwan.

Canada, like the rest of the West, follows a one-China policy that recognizes Beijing, not Taipei, diplomatically, while unofficially it supports Taiwan.

The relationship between China and the West has worsened since U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan earlier this month against Beijing's wishes.

(Reporting by Steve Scherer and Ismail Shakil in OttawaEditing by Tomasz Janowski)

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

An Edmonton man says he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was injured by members of the Edmonton Police Service last year.

Toronto police say they are searching for a suspect who allegedly shot and killed his brother in an argument at a Scarborough housing complex late Saturday night.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.