Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

 
As former regional leader of the island of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen was invited to attend the Halifax International Security Forum held in Canada, where the so-called China threat was a key topic discussed during the conference, experts said on Sunday that Canada's alignment with the US, especially on Taiwan question, could lead to negative consequences for Canada itself. 

The 16th Halifax International Security Forum was held in Canada from Friday to Sunday, with dignitaries, senior generals, experts and scholars attending from more than a dozen countries and regions, including the US, Canada and the UK, focusing on current regional conflicts and defense hotspots, according to media reports.

Former leader of China's Taiwan region Tsai Ing-wen came to Canada to participate in the annual conference and accepted the so-called "John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service" conferred by the Forum.

According to media report, the forum also focused on Canadian military spending and support for Ukraine. However, "China" was unsurprisingly the high-frequency word of the international defense conference, and the topic of China was mentioned frequently throughout almost the entire conference, with many participants criticizing the so-called China threat to the "free world." 

China firmly opposes any "Taiwan independence" elements visiting any country that has diplomatic ties with China under any name, a spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Canada said on Saturday. China urges the countries concerned to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

By inviting and presenting award to the "Taiwan independence" element, the Halifax International Security Forum seriously violates the one-China principle, and China strongly deplores and firmly opposes this, the spokesperson said.

China urges the Halifax International Security Forum to fully recognize the extreme importance and high sensitivity of the Taiwan question and stop sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, according to the statement. 

Tsai Ing-wen's behavior sends misleading signals that supporters of Taiwan independence interpret as proof of international support, and they are likely to exploit this narrative to generate hype and shape media perceptions, Xin Qiang, director of the Taiwan Studies Center at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Canada, influenced and even manipulated by the US, seeks to align itself with American interests, which is especially evident in its stance toward the island of Taiwan, Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Canada, under the guise of promoting regional peace and stability, is following the US' lead by leveraging the Taiwan question to exert pressure on China, Xin added. 

However, such actions made by Canada do not provide any real benefits to Canada beyond satisfying certain political needs, Xin added. From a practical standpoint, it negatively impacts China-Canada economic and trade relations, as well as cooperation between the two countries in various areas.

As Canada busies itself meddling in China's internal affairs, its government is facing more than enough troubles at home.

Anti-NATO and pro-Palestinian protests broke out in downtown Montreal on Friday night, as delegates from NATO members and partner states are meeting in the Canadian city from Friday to Monday. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday condemned the violence, and police used tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd and arresting three people, Reuters reported.