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2 French parliamentary groups to visit Taiwan in coming weeks

ROC Central News Agency

04/16/2023 06:21 PM

Paris, April 15 (CNA) Two French parliamentary delegations are set to visit Taiwan in the coming weeks amid rising tensions across the Taiwan Strait, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A four-member delegation from the French National Assembly is scheduled to leave France for Taiwan Sunday to enhance cooperation between the two countries and show their support for Taiwan's democracy and stability across the strait, according to delegation members.

Another group composed of Senator Alain Richard, chairman of the French Senate's Taiwan Friendship Group, and four other senators is slated to visit Taiwan April 24, MOFA said in a statement issued Sunday.

The scheduled visits come amid warming ties between the two countries despite French President Emmanuel Macron's recent comments in which he said that Europe must avoid being drawn into any conflict between the United States and China over Taiwan, warning that Europe should not become a follower on the issue and be forced to adapt to American pace and Chinese overreaction.

Macron made the comments after concluding a three-day state visit to China on April 8.

Despite his words, a Taiwanese delegation of 16 cross-party legislators arrived in France on April 14 for meetings with their French counterparts.

Eric Bothorel, who is set to visit Taiwan Sunday at the head of the French National Assembly delegation, told CNA on the sidelines of a meeting with the Taiwanese delegation that the upcoming trip to Taiwan is to strengthen organization-to-organization exchanges and trade relations between the two countries.

While semiconductors will be on the agenda during the visit, culture and talent cultivation will also be areas of collaboration between France and Taiwan, Bothorel said.

Constance Le Grip, a member of the French National Assembly delegation, who will be visiting Taiwan for the first time, told CNA on April 14 that she hopes to learn as much as possible about the real situation in the country's politics, economy and geopolitics and gain a better understanding of the situation in the strait as well as Taiwan's 2024 presidential and legislative elections.

Le Grip also reiterated her support for Taiwan's democracy, saying the delegation members hope to make clear the official position of France, the European Union and the Group of Seven (G7) on maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, show their respect for the rule of law and firm opposition to any unilateral changes in the cross-strait status quo by use of force.

(By Tseng Ting-hsuan and Evelyn Kao)

Enditem/AW