French lawmakers on Friday said that they unequivocally support Taiwan and maintaining the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, after meeting with a delegation of Taiwanese legislators in Paris earlier in the day.
The meeting “was a testimony that our support for Taiwan and the people of Taiwan has no room for ambiguity,” said French lawmaker Eric Bothorel, of the ruling Renaissance party.
France has not changed its position of maintaining the cross-strait “status quo,” because it keeps the heart of Taiwan’s democracy beating, he said.
Photo courtesy of Taipei Representative Office in France via CNA
Bothorel’s comments came after French President Emmanuel Macron called on Europe not to follow the US amid tensions between the US 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 interview with Politico, Les Echos and Franceinfo on Sunday last week, after a trip to China.
His statement drew criticism from academics and politicians in the US and Europe, who said it was too accommodating of China, given that Beijing has increased military and economic pressure on Taiwan following a meeting between President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California on Wednesday last week.
Macron’s comments led to some misunderstandings about France’s stance on cross-strait issues, as it continues to unequivocally support the “status quo,” Bothorel said on Friday.
“Should anything 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 French lawmaker Jean-Louis Bourlanges, chairman of the French National Assembly’s Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The 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 in Paris from Friday to today.
The delegation on Friday visited the French Senate and was hosted by French Senator Christian Cambon, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Armed Forces. They also met French Senator Alain Richard, chairman of the Senate’s Taiwan Friendship Group.
France, and more generally Europe, has an interest in maintaining the cross-strait “status quo,” French Senator Olivier Cadic said, adding that 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.”
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 before Macron made the controversial remarks.
Tsai Chi-chang, of the Democratic Progressive Party, said that French lawmakers, across party lines, are supportive of Taiwan.
Taiwan shares the same democratic values as France, and their relationship is the strongest it has been in 20 years, he said.
One of the other delegates, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣), said that the discussions with the French lawmakers would help facilitate efforts between Taiwan and France to ensure cross-strait peace and security, because maintaining the “status quo” is in everyone’s interests.
‘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