Canadian Senate Opposition Leader Housakos visits Taiwan to strengthen ties

Taipei, April 9 (CNA) Canadian Senate Opposition Leader Leo Housakos is on a visit to Taiwan at the head of a delegation to deepen bilateral ties and enhance cooperation on foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), Taiwan's foreign ministry said Thursday.

During a luncheon with Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺) on Wednesday, Housakos said that Canada and Taiwan both uphold human rights and democracy and are important partners across various fields, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).

The visit is aimed at gaining a better understanding of Taiwan's latest political, economic, and trade developments, as well as promoting closer cooperation in areas such as FIMI, medical care, and Indigenous affairs, Housakos was quoted as saying in a MOFA press release.

According to separate press releases issued by Canada's representative office in Taiwan and Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啓臣), the nine-member delegation arrived in Taipei on Tuesday for a six-day visit and met with Chiang on the first day.

In Housakos' social media posts, he indicated that he also met with Chen and National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) earlier this week.

Taiwan is Canada's sixth-largest trading partner in Asia, according to MOFA.