Marie-Louise Hannan, Executive Director of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei

Discover Canada in Taiwan

In recent decades, Canada-Taiwan relations have gone from strength to strength, based on a wide range of shared values, not least of which are respect for democracy and human rights. Building on this foundation, our team is fully committed to growing our strong bilateral commercial and cultural ties as well as our longstanding people-to-people relations.

The roots of our relationship run deep. People-to-people linkages were established in 1871 with the arrival in Taiwan of Canadian Presbyterian missionary Dr. George Leslie Mackay. Since then, our relationship has grown enormously.

Today, under Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, Canada is committed to pursuing multifaceted engagement with Taiwan. Young Taiwanese are travelling to Canada to study at some of the best universities in the world, while others pursue unique experiences living and working in Canada as part of International Experience Canada, our youth mobility program. Meanwhile, Canadian and Taiwanese scientists collaborate on world-class research, our artists share their rich cultural heritage, and Indigenous peoples continue their long history of engagement through meaningful cultural exchange, shared advocacy, joint research and policy collaboration. Since September 2024, Canada also engages as a full partner within the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF), a platform aimed at fostering exchanges to address global issues, including disaster response, cybersecurity, women’s empowerment, media literacy and public health.

Cultural diplomacy also plays a vital role in our engagement in Taiwan. With support from the Canada Council for the Arts and Creative Export Strategy, Canadian artists and cultural organizations, including Indigenous, francophone, and contemporary creators, have found growing success and enthusiastic audiences in Taiwan. These efforts promote mutual understanding, foster collaboration between cultural institutions, and showcase the richness and diversity of Canadian culture, reinforcing the strong people-to-people ties that define the Canada–Taiwan relationship.

Taiwan is now Canada’s 16th-largest trading partner and fifth-largest in Asia, a relationship that generates trade worth billions of dollars every year. The Canadian Trade Office in Taipei works hard to take bilateral trade and investment to new heights. Recent developments include the implementation of a Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Arrangement to afford greater predictability and transparency to the treatment of investments in either market, as well as the adoption of a Collaborative Framework on Supply Chains Resilience, both accomplished in 2023. A new Science, Technology and Innovation Arrangement was signed in 2024, enabling new programming coupled with financing opportunities to support co-innovation projects.

Meanwhile, Canadian technology is present everywhere in Taiwan. Examples include: the mammoth tuned mass damper that keeps Taipei 101 steady during typhoons and earthquakes, significant investment by Northland Power and the Caisse de Dépôt et placement du Québec in Taiwan’s offshore wind projects, Bombardier trains that carry thousands of commuters every day on Taipei’s Neihu MRT line, and Canadian-made helicopters and planes that transport passengers to Taiwan’s offshore islands. Canada’s pioneering work in artificial intelligence and clean technology, along with its bountiful natural resources, offer great potential for expanding our collaboration to advance the global green transition.

Taiwanese consumers are increasingly embracing Canadian products, from high-quality agri-food exports like lobster, beef, pork, ice wine, and craft beer, to iconic Canadian brands such as Roots, Herschel and Lululemon, which have become familiar sights on the streets of Taipei. Even Canada Goose has found a home on the island! These everyday connections reflect the growing affinity between our societies and the strength of our commercial ties.

Serving and protecting Canadians abroad remains a top priority for our office. With over 50,000 Canadians living in Taiwan, our consular section is among the five busiest in Canada’s global network, and we are proud to provide dedicated support to our community here.

Whether you're Canadian or Taiwanese, interested in business or culture, I invite you to explore our website and Facebook page to discover the vibrant and growing presence of Canada in Taiwan. I look forward to connecting with you.