'No room for ambiguity' on support for Taiwan: French lawmakers
ROC Central News Agency
04/15/2023 06:19 PM
Paris, April 15 (CNA) French lawmakers said Friday that they unequivocally support Taiwan and retention of the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, following their meeting with a visiting delegation of Taiwanese legislators in Paris earlier in the day.
The meeting with the Taiwanese delegation "was a testimony that our support for Taiwan and people of Taiwan has no room for ambiguity," Éric Bothorel, a member of French National Assembly and the ruling party Renaissance, told CNA in an interview afterwards.
He said France has not changed its position in favor of maintaining the cross-strait status quo, because the status quo keeps the heart of Taiwan's democracy beating and allows its people to continue on their path of democracy.
Bothorel's comments came five days after French President Emmanuel Macron called for Europe to distance itself from the tensions between the United States and China over Taiwan.
"The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and adapt to the American rhythm or a Chinese overreaction," Macron said in an April 9 interview with Politico, Les Echos and Franceinfo, on his return from a visit to China.
That statement drew criticism from some scholars and politicians in the United States and Europe, who said it was too accommodating of China, given that Beijing had ratcheted up its military and economic pressure on Taiwan following an April 5 meeting in California between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
In Bothorel's interview with CNA on Friday, he said Macron's comments had led to some misunderstandings about France's stance on cross-strait issues, which remains unequivocal support for the status quo.
"Should any thing happen to Taiwan, everyone will be impacted," Bothorel said.
The recent transit of a French warship through the Taiwan Strait was aimed at asserting that freedom of navigation in those waters should be maintained, Bothorel said, after attending a luncheon for the Taiwanese delegation, which was hosted by Jean-Louis Bourlanges, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the French National Assembly.
The Taiwanese delegation, led by Deputy Legislative Speaker Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌), is in Paris at the invitation of the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce, which is holding its board of directors meeting from April 14-16 in the French capital.
On Friday, the delegation also visited the French Senate and was received by Christian Cambon, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Armed Forces, and they also met with Alain Richard, who is vice president of the Senate and chairman of Taiwan Friendship Group in that chamber.
After that visit, French Senator Olivier Cadic spoke with CNA, stressing that France, and more generally Europe, has an interest in maintaining the cross-strait status quo, but he thinks Taiwan should be given assistance to defend itself, in case of a war.
"If you want peace, prepare for war," Cadic said. "French lawmakers are in support of providing Taiwan with relevant equipment to defend itself in the event of an attack."
Cadic said he told the Taiwanese delegation that France needs help from Taiwan to counter China, as Beijing has been attempting to influence the French people against democracy.
The trip to Paris by the 16-member Taiwanese delegation of cross-party lawmakers, many of whom are on the Legislature's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, was scheduled prior to Macron's controversial remarks.
Speaking with CNA, Deputy Legislative Speaker Tsai said the members of the French Parliament, across party lines, are strongly supportive of Taiwan.
Taiwan shares the same democratic values as France, and their bilateral relationship is the strongest it has been in 20 years, said Tsai, a Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker.
"What is more important is Taiwan's economic strength, which gives it a crucial role in the global economy," Tsai said. "Therefore, Taiwan's issues are France's issues. A conflict over Taiwan would trigger a global economic shock."
One of the other delegates, Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) of Taiwan's main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), told CNA that the discussions with the French parliamentarians will help facilitate efforts between Taiwan and France to ensure cross-strait peace and security, because the status quo is in everyone's interests.
Another opposition lawmaker, Chiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠) of Taiwan People's Party, also expressed similar views, telling CNA that the cross-party delegation's current visit to France was sending a message to the international community that the majority of people in Taiwan are willing to work together to maintain freedom and democracy.
(By Judy Tseng and Shih Hsiu-chuan)
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