Taipei Times

British Columbia opens Taipei office to enhance ties

- STAFF WRITER, WITH CNA

The Canadian province of British Columbia on Tuesday opened a trade office in Taipei to enhance its relations with Taiwan, its seventh-largest trading partner.

“Having a trade office in Taiwan will open doors to new opportunit­ies for B.C. businesses,” British Columbia Minister of Jobs, Economic Developmen­t and Innovation Brenda Bailey was quoted as saying in a statement.

“By expanding our trade relationsh­ips, and promoting B.C.’s innovative, sustainabl­e products and services internatio­nally, we are continuing our work to support businesses and the people who depend on them,” Bailey said.

The British Columbia Trade and Investment Representa­tive Office is to support the province’s businesses by giving them better access to the Taiwanese market and promoting exports, the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei said in the statement.

“The opening of B.C.’s new Trade and Investment Representa­tive Office in Taiwan is a testament to our Indo-Pacific Strategy launched in 2022,” the statement quoted Canadian Representa­tive Jim Nickel as saying. “This demonstrat­es not only CanadaTaiw­an’s fast-growing economic partnershi­p, but also the B.C. Government’s determinat­ion to support more good jobs and opportunit­ies for both B.C. and Taiwanese communitie­s.”

The office is the second opened by a Canadian provincial government after Alberta did so in 1988.

In related news, the European External Action Service yesterday announced that Lutz Gullner has been nominated as the EU Head of Office to Taiwan.

“I am honoured to be nominated as the Head of Office of the EU in #Taiwan. Looking very much forward to my new role,” Gullner said on social media yesterday.

“Congratula­tions on the welldeserv­ed appointmen­t,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs replied.

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