The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Wu Chih-chung, recently hosted a dinner to welcome a visiting delegation from the French Senate. The delegation leader and chairman, Christophe-André Frassa, expressed his willingness to continue assisting in deepening bilateral cooperation and exchanges between Taiwan and France.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) on the 20th, Deputy Minister Wu Chih-chung hosted a dinner on the 18th to welcome the visit of Christophe-André Frassa, the chairman of the “Vanuatu-Pacific Islands Friendly Group” of the French Senate, as well as members of the Senate’s pro-Taiwan group, including Senator Guy Benarroche and Senator Annick Jacquemet. The two sides exchanged views on Taiwan-France (EU) relations, the Indo-Pacific situation, and China’s undue expansion of influence in the Pacific region.
Wu Chih-chung thanked the French government for its support for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and the Taiwan Strait. He particularly highlighted the significance of France’s enactment of the “Military Construction Law for Seven Years” in August 2023, making it the first major country globally to legislatively defend freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait. He expressed hopes for deeper cooperation between Taiwan and France in the fields of economy, trade, scientific research, and culture, as well as exploring opportunities for digital age cooperation to enhance the friendship between Taiwan and France.
Chairman Frassa expressed that after visiting Taiwan, he now fully understands Taiwan’s strategic position in the Indo-Pacific region and the various cooperation projects promoted by the Republic of China in the Pacific region. He expressed his willingness to continue assisting in deepening bilateral cooperation and exchanges between Taiwan and France.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) stated that during the visit of the French Senate’s “Vanuatu-Pacific Islands Friendly Group,” the delegation also met with Speaker of the Legislative Yuan Han Kuo-yu, as well as Chairman of the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee Wang Ting-yu and Member Chen Guan-ting, and engaged in dialogue with scholars from the think tank “Institute for National Defense and Security Studies,” yielding fruitful results.
On the afternoon of the 18th, Speaker Han Kuo-yu met with the visiting delegation from the French Senate’s “Vanuatu-Pacific Islands Friendly Group,” led by Chairman Christophe-André Frassa and three others. Speaker Han first extended a warm welcome to the visitors and noted that the attending legislators represented a cross-party delegation, symbolizing the Legislative Yuan’s importance attached to the delegation’s visit.
Speaker Han shared, “The people of our country hold a favorable impression of France’s cuisine, culture, luxury goods, and even technology. French arts and creations such as literature, drama, and opera are admired, and hypermarkets like Carrefour provide convenience in our lives. French luxury goods are also highly popular in Taiwan, and France is a top choice for our people when traveling to Europe, with Airbus providing air travel options originating from France.”
He also congratulated the guests on France’s excellent performance at the recently concluded Paris Olympics this summer, where France achieved fifth place, ranking as the top European country. He expressed gratitude for French President Macron’s promulgation of the “Military Construction Law for Seven Years” in 2023, the world’s first legislation emphasizing the importance of defending freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly concerning the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, which serves as a great encouragement for the Republic of China.
During his speech, Chairman Frassa expressed gratitude for Speaker Han Kuo-yu and the attending committee members’ warm welcome and praised France. He mentioned how France’s cuisine, culture, literature, and other aspects attract Taiwanese individuals to France, while Taiwan’s excellence in industries like technology and AI draws French people to Taiwan. He emphasized how Taiwan’s technological advancements improve modern life.
Frassa further shared that the members of the French Senate’s pro-Taiwan group now outnumber those of the pro-China group, showing France’s willingness to join Taiwan in advancing future industry development, towards a more modernized lifestyle in the 21st century.
The Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China stated that the two sides also extensively exchanged views on issues such as gender equality, energy, national defense, and regional security cooperation during the meeting, which lasted about an hour and had a pleasant and friendly atmosphere. The meeting ended satisfactorily after the exchange of gifts and taking photos together.