CCP’s 20th National Congress Sends ‘Chilling’ Message to Democracies: Taiwan’s Top Envoy in Canada

Chinese President Xi Jinping, bottom right, is applauded by senior members of the government and delegates as he stands before his speech during the Opening Ceremony of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China at The Great Hall of People on October 16, 2022 in Beijing, China. Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Taiwan’s top envoy in Canada says the recent national congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sends a “chilling” message to like-minded democracies around the world.

Testifying before the parliamentary Canada-China committee on Nov. 1, Harry Ho-Jen Tseng, representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada, warned parliamentarians not to take the message from the CCP’s 20th national congress “lightly,” and “to prepare in order not to be harmed in the near future.”

Tseng was referring to the “political report” delivered during the opening ceremony of the Chinese regime’s national congress in Beijing where CCP leader Xi Jinping—who just secured a record-setting third term—used the term “security” over 75 times in his speech.

“The political report delivered by Mr. Xi Jinping on Oct. 16 has sent a chilling message to all of us in the like-minded group [of democracies],” said Tseng, previously deputy minister of Taiwan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.

“I think it indicates that China as a market is getting more uncertain [and] is getting riskier for Canada and for other countries because we will be trading with someone that lays stress not on profit, but on political control,” he added.

Xi’s speech emphasized that the communist regime will “strengthen the safeguards for ensuring economic, major infrastructure, financial, cyber, data, biological, resource, nuclear, space, and maritime security.”

“Mechanisms for countering foreign sanctions, interference, and long-arm jurisdiction will be strengthened,” Xi stressed, adding that the regime will “oppose Taiwan independence,” and “will take resolute action to prevent and stop interference in the affairs of Hong Kong and Macao by external forces.”

In addition, Xi said the party will “hold high the great banner of socialism” and turn China into a country that “leads the world in terms of composite national strength and international influence by the middle of the century.”

‘Not Unlike The Era Under Mao’

Tseng said the security concerns arising out of the congress are something democracies, including Canada, need to pay attention to. He added that the economic message from Xi is “not very rosy at all.”

“Their reaffirmed zero-COVID policy remains a major risk for growth. There is no hope of loosening regulations on internet platforms, and its real estate industry sees no policy U-turn,” Tseng said.

Closing remarks from a CCP spokesperson at the congress stressed a message of “equality over prosperity,“ he added, which Tseng said, ”spells a return to a communism not unlike the era under Mao.”

During questioning at committee, Tseng agreed with comments from Conservative MP and foreign affairs critic Michael Chong that it is time Canada “decouple economically” from China, particularly in the areas of critical minerals, semiconductors, biotechnology, telecommunications, and artificial intelligence.

“It is only wise to be prepared for an economic decoupling to come closer and come faster,” Tseng said, while urging Canada to join the effort in ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific Region and the Taiwan Strait.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said in late September that she will release Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy and China policy before the end of the year. She said the strategy would be shaped largely by what transpired at the CCP’s national congress.

‘Real Talk’

In January, Canada promised to begin “exploratory discussions” with Taiwan on a possible Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Arrangement (FIPA).

The federal government can’t yet say if it will proceed with the trade talk, according to a Globe and Mail report on Oct. 25. The press secretary for International Trade Minister Mary Ng told the media outlet that the department is “reviewing the results of the exploratory discussions.” A September email statement from Global Affairs to the Globe said FIPA talks with Taiwan would be based on “Canadian commercial interests.”

Tseng said it will be mutually beneficial to promote trade and investment between Canada and Taiwan. He expressed hope that Canada can support Taiwan in its application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)—a free trade agreement between Canada and 10 other countries in the Asia-Pacific region including Australia, Japan, and New Zealand.

“We understand that FIPA and CPTPP are very complicated issues,” Tseng said, while noting that the two countries have had three discussions since January on “very good faith.”

“I understand that trade matters need to go through different sectoral concerns and that you want to make sure you are not signing some agreement at the expense of your business community—we understand that.”

“What we are asking from Taiwan is that we sit down and have a real talk—not prior talks before the real talk,” he added. “Never fear to negotiate.”

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.