Exclusive: Beijing Pressured Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim to Block Taiwan Representative From Business Briefing
By Stanley Tromp
VANCOUVER — As the United States Secretary of Defense warns that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan may be “imminent” and as elaborate military drills encircle the island, Canadian politicians—including Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim—have been pressured and upbraided by Chinese diplomats to block meetings with Taiwanese officials on Canadian soil, according to documents exclusively obtained by The Bureau.
Despite this pressure, some Canadian politicians and businesspeople are working to expand economic ties with Taiwan.
Documents obtained through a freedom of information request reveal that on November 20, 2024, the City of Vancouver hosted a luncheon and briefing for its international partners in the B.C. Consular Corps at the Pan Pacific Hotel. As Mayor Ken Sim noted in his welcoming remarks, the focus was on affordable housing policy and public safety in the Downtown Eastside.
The next day, Yang Shu, China’s Consul General in Vancouver, wrote to Mayor Sim thanking him for the invitation—but issued a pointed objection.
“I noticed that the Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vancouver was also invited. This was inappropriate, and the Chinese Consulate expresses its dissatisfaction regarding this,” Yang wrote.
“There is but one China in the world. . . and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. The Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China is the only consular mission representing China in Vancouver. ONE-CHINA Principle is an overwhelming consensus by the international society and committed to by the Canadian Federal Government as well as the municipal governments.
“To our best knowledge, this was the first time in recent years that the head of TECO was invited to this biannual luncheon,” Yang added. “I hope the City of Vancouver could take this issue seriously, and provide clarification regarding this.”
On December 1, Mayor Sim responded in writing:
“To address the concerns raised in your letter, I would like to clarify that Vancouver has been inviting the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) to the briefing for international partners since 2007. While this event includes members of the Consular Corps of B.C., we also extend invitations to other international partners to foster inclusive and collaborative dialogue.
“The City of Vancouver recognizes the diversity and vibrancy of the international community and aims to ensure that events such as this luncheon provide a platform to strengthen relationships across all international partnerships.”
In response to questions from The Bureau, TECO deputy director Jenny Tzeng asserted that Taiwan has never been part of the People’s Republic of China, and “Taiwan has been an important democratic partner of Canada, as outlined in Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy of 2022.”
“We attend every event whenever we are able to,” she added. “However, China consistently protests whenever they take notice.”
Charles Burton, a Senior Fellow at Sinopsis specializing in Asian affairs, said: “There is no question that that representatives of Taiwan in Canada are the legitimate representatives of a sovereign state. Their participation in the B.C. Consular Corps luncheon is completely valid.”
While Vancouver City Hall seeks to include Taiwanese officials in business briefings, Premier David Eby’s government has not done so at recent provincial diplomatic events—even as formal recognition of Taiwan remains off the table.
At a May 14, 2025 session in the B.C. legislature, Premier David Eby and several ministers addressed the B.C. Consular Corps in a formal briefing.
“While we regularly receive invitations from various partners across Greater Vancouver, unfortunately, as we are not part of B.C.’s Consular Corps, we are unable to attend events hosted by the B.C. government,” Tzeng said. “We would certainly appreciate being included.”
History of Pressure on Vancouver Mayors
China's diplomatic objections are not new. Documents reviewed by The Bureau show that on November 9, 2021, the Chinese consulate wrote to then-Mayor Kennedy Stewart, urging him to reject a local proposal to establish a Friendship City relationship between Vancouver and Kaohsiung, Taiwan. (Vancouver has long had a sister city agreement with Guangzhou, China.)
“A Friendship relationship based on an official mechanism between Vancouver and Kaohsiung would obviously be against the One China principle, and undermine the political foundation of China-Canada relations,” the consulate warned.
“We sincerely hope that your office will attach the highest importance to this highly sensitive issue... and avoid any inappropriateness that might damage the existing bilateral relationship between Guangzhou and Vancouver and beyond.”
Despite these warnings, in July 2022, Vancouver City Council approved the Friendship City Program, allowing local nonprofits to initiate such relationships with mayoral support. “We would be pleased to see if the criteria for the friendship city relationship are met,” said Tzeng.