關於 canada diplomatic relations ，我們在網路上蒐集到這些相關的討論、資訊與評價

【同道而相益的理念外交，讓「#臺灣」不再被遮蔽】

外交部 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC（Taiwan）部長吳釗燮今天宣布，我國將在 #立陶宛 設立「#駐立陶宛臺灣代表處」（The Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania）。這不僅是我國睽違18年再度在歐洲國家設立代表處，更是我國第二個正式以「臺灣」為名的駐外館處！

我國目前駐在邦交國的使館冠以「中華民國（臺灣）」之名，而在非邦交國的館處則更委屈地以「臺北」為名；例如我國在設立立陶宛館處前，對立陶宛事務均由「駐拉脫維亞臺北代表團」兼轄；一直以來「臺灣」要不是低調的躲在括號中，便是消失於無蹤。

如果今年底確實以「駐立陶宛臺灣代表處」之名揭牌，這將會是繼我國 #去年8月 在 #非洲索馬利蘭 成立第一個以「臺灣」為名的代表處後，再次自信地向國際社會說：「我們是臺灣，我們不用躲在括號中、更無須莫名其妙地被消失！」且與索馬利蘭未受國際普遍承認不同，立陶宛是 #歐盟成員國；這個基於自由民主理念結交的盟友，將可期待臺灣在歐洲得到更多支持！

另一方面，在立陶宛以「臺灣」之名設立代表處，或許也標誌著西方國家開始為臺灣正名的開端：今年5月美國民主黨眾議員提出的臺灣外交檢討法案（Taiwan Diplomatic Review Act）就將與我國駐美的「臺北經濟文化代表處」協商正名為「臺灣代表處」；加拿大的加臺關係架構法（Canada-Taiwan Relations Framework Act）則允許（permit）在加拿大代表我國政府的「臺北經濟文化代表處」被稱為「臺灣代表處」。

除了讓我們以臺灣之名走向世界外，駐立陶宛代表處的設立還有廣泛而實質意義：縱使沒有建立正式邦交，我國駐各國的「代表處」多年來都承擔著與非邦交國之行政機關締結協定（Agreement）或備忘錄（Memorandum）的任務，內容涵蓋司法互助、智慧財產權、關務、洗錢防制、情資交換、投資促進及保護、海洋漁業合作、勞工聘雇、解決雙重課稅及逃稅問題…等。透過這些國家公權力事務的雙邊合作，我們不僅向國際社會證明我國政府行使主權、不附從於他國而進行著有效的統治，更是在實踐上展現臺灣具有與他國建立關係的能力（capacity to enter into relations with the other states）！

永昌感佩立陶宛政府與人民，能將自己國家在20世紀對抗專制蘇俄的歷史經驗普遍化、與遠在亞洲臺灣串聯對抗21世紀新型態的專制強權；也感謝我國辛苦的外交人員，在詭譎多變的外交局勢中始終支撐著臺灣在國際社會的存立！

新聞報導：
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/202107200020.aspx

Theatre of the absurd for real (Lee Yee)

Carrie Lam said last week she was not worried about “being included on the sanction list” and had no assets in the U.S., nor did she aspire to America, so without a visa, she might as well exclude America from the list of countries she would travel.

Being the Chief Executive of Hong Kong and asked whether she was concerned about being picked on by a foreign country, she should have answered appropriately that she was worried about the overall Hong Kong issue instead of uttering personal affairs. In fact, her son is doing his doctorate in America. If the sanction against her threatens his resident visa, how could she not be worried? Worse still, if the sanction is stringently put in force, the banks that service the sanctioned will become embroiled, and will thereby revoke the accounts of the latter.

Chip Tsao said on his Facebook page, “Her saying ’I have no assets in the U.S.’, deemed by netizens in the mainland an innuendo against members of the Chinese Communist Party(CCP) moving their assets to America, has unexpectedly made her one-night heroine in the mainland.” Some mainland netizens said they were moved by the firmness and unyieldingness of Carrie Lam, and if all their officials and party members were the same as Carrie Lam, no one would give a damn about the U.S.’s sanctions.

The media disseminated that the U.S. government is considering banning all CCP members and their families from traveling in the U.S. and expelling those currently in the U.S.. When White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany was asked about it, she answered that she had nothing to announce regarding that aspect, but with respect to issues about China, they reserved every possible option. It means the abovementioned measure is not obviated.

Global Times Chief Editor Hu Xijin said on his Weibo page: “This has been the most insane envision of U.S.’s diplomatic measure made by Washington, D.C. so far, and leaking the news to the media is also an evil act”. Mainland netizens jeered at him by saying, “What are you jittering at, Hu? Now that you are so contemptuous of American Imperialism, why do you take a U.S. visa to heart? A ban on CCP members and their families from traveling in America is no big deal. We don’t care for it! It has nothing to do with ‘insaneness’ and ‘evilness’. ”

Honestly, “insaneness” and “evilness” are just words of exaggeration. In actuality, the measure pertains to U.S. domestic affairs. The U.S. Immigration Act stipulates that all subordinates to communist party and members of its affiliates cannot enter or immigrate to the U.S., surely with clauses of exemption. If the U.S. wants to do it, it can simply enforce it without unnecessary legislation.

Carrie Lam‘s “not worried” and Hu’s “insaneness” have in fact laid bare their genuine worries at heart. When sanctions befall individuals, it is all about personal interests instead of state’s interests. Carrie Lam’s son is in the U.S.; Xi Jinping’s daughter is said to be in the U.S.; a lot of other officials’ offspring and assets are also in the U.S.. It seems that the sanctions will be extended to the U.K. and other countries.

The National Security Law takes the cake. In less than a month since its promulgation, the U.S. and China have been at daggers drawn with each other. It has also put China in a situation in which it is beleaguered by countries all around the world. All of these amount to the theatre of the absurd. Everything stems from a book about Xi Jinping’s private life to be published. Then, five stakeholders of Causeway Bay Books disappeared. It was suspected that Paul Lee, one of the owners, was carted off to the mainland. Amidst an uproar in the media, the extradition amendment bill was tabled for deliberation early last year upon the question “Why can’t we nab a person in Hong Kong?” put forward by Beijing. “Extradition to China” was to be legalized by communist Hong Kong in collaboration with China so that cross-border law enforcement would be made legitimized. However, the backlash from Hong Kong people against it was unexpectedly ferocious and extensive, even making an impact on the international community. After the withdrawal of the bill, the National Security Law, which is even sterner, was then introduced. To everyone’s surprise, the evil law triggered off backfire from all around the world, followed by countries laying siege to China in tandem on end.

How to make an elephant out of a fly

What is weirdest is Carrie Lam tabled the extradition amendment bill to allegedly remedy a “loophole” in the extradition treaty with Taiwan, yet in the end she prompted those countries including the U.S., Canada, Australia, the UK and Finland that have signed an extradition treaty with Hong Kong to rescind the treaties which were based on the promise that criminals would not be extradited to China. With the National Security Law having taken effect, the basis is gone. More countries are believed to follow suit.

The loophole is not remedied, but keeps on festering. There could be a complete collapse of Hong Kong and China’s diplomatic relations with the world. The calamity stems from just a little book. What else could be more absurd?