OTTAWA, March 18 (UPI) -- Canada's minority Conservative government is moving to assure China it supports a "one-China" policy including Tibet and Taiwan, the Globe and Mail reported.
Foreign affairs experts told the newspaper Canada has officially held the policy since establishing diplomatic relations with Beijing since 1970 but in recent weeks, Canadian officials have stopped using couched terms regarding Taiwan or Tibet.
Last week, Canadian Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier spoke with Asian ambassadors in Ottawa where he was quite concise about the policy, as the text of his speech spoke of Beijing as "the sole legitimate government of China," the newspaper said.
Charles Burton, a Brock University professor and former Canadian diplomat in China, told the newspaper the shift was obvious by the remark.
"Mr. Bernier is suggesting a subtle but meaningful change in Conservative government rhetoric on China that would be very well received by the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa," Burton said. "It would suggest that Canada supports Chinese government claims to legitimate sovereignty over Taiwan and over Tibet."
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper angered Beijing in November when he agreed to meet with the Dalai Lama, who heads Tibet's government-in-exile, the report said.
