Why Supporting Taiwan Matters for Global Democracy

George S. Takach in Conversation with Mr. Yi-Peng Liang, Director General, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office

Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (EST)
Location: Great Hall, University of Toronto Bookstore (214 College St, Toronto)

The Canadian International Council’s Toronto Branch is pleased to invite you to attend a panel discussion on Taiwan and its importance for democracies worldwide, taking place on Tuesday, March 31 at 6:00 PM in the Great Hall at the UofT Bookstore.

Come hear George S. Takach, in conversation with Toronto TECO Director General Yi-Peng Liang discuss George’s new book Inspired by Taiwan about why Taiwan matters—to its own people, to Canada, and to the world—and why democracies everywhere advance their national interests when they support it. His book is a call to recognize Taiwan not just as a strategic outpost and tech powerhouse, but as a beacon for the global democracy project.

To register, please follow this link.

Copies of George’s book, Inspired By Taiwan, will be available for purchase, and signing by George, at a 25% discount to the regular Amazon and Indigo price.

About the speakers
Yi-Peng Liang is since January 2025 the Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Toronto, Canada. Prior to his service in Toronto, Mr. Liang has held numerous senior positions in Taiwanese foreign policy, including Counselor and Acting Secretary General of the Taiwan Council for U.S. Affairs, Deputy Director-General of the Department of North American Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Counselor and Chief of Staff at both the National Security Council and Taiwan’s representative offices in the United States and Japan. Mr. Liang holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from National Taiwan University and a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from Catholic Fu-Jen University, and has completed executive training at Oxford University and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He is married and has two daughters.

George S. Takach is the author of Inspired by Taiwan, a recent publication on why global democracy hinges on the future of a small island of 23 million people. George holds a BA in history, political science, and philosophy from the University of Toronto; an MA from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa; and a JD from the University of Toronto. For thirty-five years he was a tech lawyer and partner at McCarthy Tétrault, Canada’s premier law firm. During his legal career he was also an adjunct professor in computer law and e-commerce at Osgoode Hall Law School for twenty-two years, and he wrote three books on technology law topics. He now writes and presents on technology and geopolitics for a general audience. His book Cold War 2.0: Artificial Intelligence in the New Battle Between China, Russia, and America was published in English in 2025 (Pegasus Books, New York) and in Chinese in 2025 (Commonwealth Publishing, Taipei). George and his wife, Barbara, live in Toronto.

About the moderator
Kristian Kennedy is a Member-at-Large and President Ex-Oficio of the CIC Toronto Branch. He served as the former President of the branch from 2023-2025. A longtime CIC member, he works in the public safety administration space and was previously the manager of government relations at the Technical Standards and Safety Authority. He holds a Master of Science from the London School of Economics.