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Moreover, Taiwan lacks abundant natural resources in order to fuel its economic growth. As was demonstrated by the attack on an oil tanker chartered by Taiwan’s CPC Corp, Taiwan is dependent on Middle East oil and gas but has no mechanism to ensure its safe transit.

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Conversely, Canada is one of the world’s biggest exporters of oil and gas, and shipping Canadian energy products from British Columbia to Taiwan would be both stable and secure.

Already, there is nearly $8 billion in bilateral trade between Canada and Taiwan, with Canada predominantly importing machinery, mechanical, and electrical products, and exporting mineral products and other resources. These sorts of comparative advantages undergird international trade; they make both economies run more efficiently and help improve consumer choice.

So if Canada is the salt to Taiwan’s pepper, why does the relationship remain modest?

The simple answer is that China has throttled most formal international engagement with, or recognition of, Taiwan based on the “One-China” policy. Taiwan represents an existential threat to the People’s Republic of China because it demonstrates that the success of Chinese people is not inextricably tied to oppressive authoritarianism.

To appease Beijing, Canada “takes note” of the One China policy, avoiding formal engagement with Taiwan. This has been the glass ceiling on the Canada-Taiwan relationship, but it does not have to be this way.