The Delegation of Canadian Scholars Visited the Taiwan Thinktank

On July 3^rd 2025, a delegation of Canadian scholars, led by Professor Sorpong Peou from Toronto Metropolitan University, and accompanied by Executive Assistant Director Pei-Hsuan Su from Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada, visited the Taiwan Thinktank (TTT). The delegation joined in a roundtable discussion with a group of TTT experts, led by Dr. Ming-Shih Shen, Deputy Director of the Defense & Security Program of TTT’s DIMEs Center. Other TTT participants included Dr. Roger Chi-Feng Liu (Deputy Director, Integrated Diplomacy Program,  DIMEs Center), Dr. Chien-Jung Hsu (Vice President, National Institute of Cyber Security), Dr. Yun-Hu Yeh (Associate Professor, Central Police University), and Dr. Ying-Yu Lin (Assistant Professor, Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies, Tamkang University.)

Dr. Shen first welcomed the delegation, and noted that the people of Taiwan are quite familiar with the United States, but are relatively unfamiliar with Canada. In contrast with the frequent exchanges between Taiwanese and American think tanks, the exchanges between Taiwanese and Canadian think tanks are relatively tepid. However, Taiwan and Canada are both members of the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF), which just celebrated its tenth anniversary in June. Accordingly, both countries share a solid foundation of cooperation in various areas such as digital technology, public health, disaster relief, and energy security. At the same time, Canada could play a critical role in containing China's global expansion. It is highly hoped, Dr. Shen said, that through this visit both countries enhance mutual understanding and promote bi-lateral friendship and exchange.

In his opening remark, Professor Peou said that as a scholar who had been studying Asian security for more than thirty years, he was truly excited to set foot on the land of Taiwan. Taiwan has won international acclaim for its peaceful democratic transition. In recent years, Taiwan has further strengthened its position as a global manufacturing powerhouse for advanced chips. The delegation members are mostly international relations scholars, who come from universities in Ottawa, Toronto, Alberta, and Quebec. Although they have somewhat dealt with the issues of Taiwan and China in their respective research, seeing Taiwan with their own eyes is a totally different experience. Therefore, the delegation deems this visit as a trip of "listening and learning", and a good opportunity to know more about TTT’s ongoing policy research.

The roundtable discussion began shortly after the self-introduction of all the participants from both sides and a briefing given by TTT. The discussion topics included: the status quo and the prospect of Taiwan-Canada bi-lateral cooperation, Taiwan-US relations, the Indo-Pacific strategy, the possibility of a war across the Taiwan Strait in 2027, Taiwan’s national defense policy, Taiwan’s plan of protection for critical infrastructure, the PLA’s cooperation with Russia and North Korea, Taiwan’s soft power, Taiwan and Korea’s competition in cultural industries, the Silicon Shield, TSMC’s overseas offshoring, and the restructuring of the global semiconductor supply chain. Participants expressed candid opinions, shared direct observation, and offered concrete suggestions on these issues.

In the closing remark, Dr. Shen emphasized that Taiwan and Canada share common national interests in the global containment of Communist China. As a result, both countries should seek closer cooperation in democracy & human rights, cyber security, maritime security, natural resources, defense industries, critical infrastructure, and even soft power. All these areas demand continuous endeavor and constant devotion from both sides.

The visit concluded warmly with gift exchanges and photo opportunities.