Canada-Taiwan parliamentary friendship group joins Formosa Club

According to [Taiwan News], the Taiwan government on Thursday (Aug. 5) welcomed the inclusion of the Canada-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group in the Formosa Club.

The group, led by MP Judy Sgro, has 89 members from both the Canadian Senate and House of Commons and has provided “staunch support for Taiwan’s democracy, security, and international participation,” according to a press release from Taiwan’s EU and Belgium representative office.

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Inclusion of the Canada-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group in the Formosa Club. (Photo / Retrieved from the MOFA Facebook page)

European Parliament-Taiwan Friendship Group Chair Michael Gahler posted a video on Twitter to welcome the group, saying, “In challenging times, it is good to witness that elected parliamentarians from democratic countries join forces and give support to those whose democracy is threatened by an increasingly assertive one-party state in its neighborhood.”

Meanwhile, Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said in a video message that he is “thrilled to see such a strong transatlantic partnership in support of Taiwan.” He said the European branch of the Formosa Club was established in October 2019 by pro-Taiwan parliamentary groups in the EU, Germany, France, and the UK. Since then, it has expanded to more than 130 members and “has generated a lot of momentum for Taiwan’s international participation,” he said.

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European Parliament-Taiwan Friendship Group shows support to Taiwan. (Photo / Retrieved from Twitter)

According to [Taiwan News], Wu said the success of the European Formosa Club has inspired the establishment of regional chapters in Africa, West Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Indo-Pacific. He added that he is glad to see allies strongly voicing support for Taiwan and that the East Asian nation will “continue to work closely with like-minded partners on both sides of the Atlantic to further promote universal values of human rights, democracy, and rule of law.”