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President Tsai lauds Taiwan-France parliamentary exchanges

ROC Central News Agency

04/28/2023 06:17 PM

Taipei, April 28 (CNA) Parliamentary exchanges between Taiwan and France have reached a new level, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Friday during a meeting with a delegation from the French Senate.

Tsai made the comment while receiving the delegation, led by the French Senate's Vice President Alain Richard, at the Presidential Office.

Richard's current trip to Taiwan from April 24-28 not only follows his previous one in 2021, but also comes less than two weeks after the visit to Taiwan by the members of the French National Assembly, including Éric Bothorel, Tsai said.

Such close exchanges were also evident through the visits to France by Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) and You's deputy Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) last July and in mid-April, respectively, she added.

Taiwan and France have also been close trade and economic partners, Tsai said, adding that she hoped the bilateral relationship would strengthen in the future.

Meanwhile, Richard said the French parliament continued to pay attention to the security of the Taiwan Strait and was urging the French government to do the same.

He went on to say that a recent transit of a French military vessel in the Taiwan Strait demonstrated Paris' stance on the issue.

He was most likely referring to the passage through the Taiwan Strait from late April 9 to early April 10 by Prairial, a Floréal-class surveillance frigate of the French Navy, shortly after French President Emmanuel Macron's remarks about cross-strait issues during his China visit backfired.

Taiwan's military earlier said it was aware of the transit, while the French Office in Taipei declined to comment on the matter.

Macron was criticized for suggesting that Europe avoid being dragged into a crisis between the United States and China over Taiwan, and he later sought to salvage the situation by saying that Paris' position on Taiwan had not changed and it advocated the status quo of the Taiwan Strait.

In his remarks, Richard underlined the importance of democracies developing cooperative relationships, and expressed hope that Taiwan and France would continue deepening mutual trust and friendship.

Also in attendance at Friday's meeting were three of his Senate colleagues Alexandra Borchio-Fontimp, Valérie Boyer and Brigitte Devésa, as well as the group's secretary Philippe Péjo.

(By Teng Pei-ju)

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