Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃), who is leading a delegation to France, on Monday said he was looking to strengthen ties between the two nations, including more cooperation in the fields of culture and technology.
You, who met with overseas Taiwanese in Paris on Monday after discussing bilateral industrial cooperation with French officials in Provence on Sunday, told the Central News Agency that there are more possibilities for partnerships.
France is strong in culture, education, technology and defense, while Taiwan has well-established semiconductor and high-technology sectors, You said.
Photo: screen grab from Facebook
“Taiwan and France could both benefit a lot if there are more mutual visits and exchanges between central governments from both sides,” he said.
You pointed out that there had been closer parliamentary exchanges between both nations, as three delegations of French lawmakers had visited Taiwan since he took office in 2020.
You, whose delegation is scheduled to visit the French parliament yesterday and today, said he hoped to take the opportunity to thank the nation for supporting Taiwan, including voicing support for the nation’s inclusion in the WHO.
France, the US, Japan, Australia, Canada and the UK are paying more attention to the situation in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, You said, adding that those concerns involve Taiwan.
You’s delegation has also visited the Czech Republic and Lithuania since Monday last week.
His delegation consists of Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Huang Shih-chieh (黃世杰), Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Jang Chyi-lu (張其祿), and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Kung Wen-chi (孔文吉) and Wan Mei-ling (萬美玲).
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS