French businesses should be more aware of the risks linked to tensions around Taiwan that could damage their interests, Representative to France Francois Wu (吳志中) said, urging firms to promote more collaboration with Taipei.
“If you look at the example of Russia and the Ukraine war, having important interests in Russia doesn’t mean that you can split the two and abandon Ukraine to protect interests in Russia,” Wu said in an interview on Friday.
“If there were to be a war, their interests in China would be threatened,” he said.
Photo: CNA
Escalating tensions between the US and China are putting European countries in a delicate position between the two superpowers as they seek to retain economic relations with Beijing.
“Half of the world’s containers go through the Taiwan Strait. These would be at risk. So businesses have an interest to help everyone maintain peace,” Wu said.
During a separate interview on Bloomberg Television, Wu also pushed for boosting Taiwan’s cooperation on the production of semiconductors, not just with France.
“We need Air Liquide from France, BASF from Germany, chemical production from Japan for the precision of the production of semiconductors,” he said. “So France is already playing a role. I do believe we can reinforce our cooperation, not only between Taiwan and France, but with Europe and all democratic countries.”
Taiwan makes 90 percent of the world’s advanced semiconductors, which power everything from smartphones to artificial intelligence chatbots, while also trying to attract the military and diplomatic support needed to deter an invasion.
Wu said he receives many e-mails from French lawmakers seeking opportunities, adding that bolstering ties on semiconductors between France and Taiwan is a “very important” part of his job.
Earlier this month, Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye (盧沙野) triggered furious reactions in Europe after he questioned the sovereignty of ex-Soviet states, including Ukraine. France joined the chorus of nations that condemned the remarks, and Beijing distanced itself from the comments.
Wu said the remarks reflected China’s outlook.
“China is trying to use an old concept to try and change the world order. So the declaration of ambassador Lu Shaye just reflects” how “they see the world,” he said.
“It’s putting us in a very difficult problem, without the intention, they just make the problem of Taiwan the same problem with other ex-Soviet countries,” Wu said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) telephone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday diverted attention from the uproar.
However, Lu’s statements undermined Xi’s quest to portray China as a neutral broker — particularly given his tight relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During a trip to China earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron urged Xi to make the call.
Macron also said that Europe should make its own decisions regarding Taiwan rather than follow the US or China.
The backlash that followed Macron’s statement pushed France and European allies to reaffirm their position on Taiwan, Wu said.
“I’m happy — perhaps not satisfied as things can always get better, but happy” with Europe’s and France’s reaction, he added.
Eric Bothorel, the head of a delegation of French lawmakers who recently traveled to Taiwan to reassure its authorities, said he wants more economic cooperation with Taiwan.
Taipei and Paris recently signed a deal to develop drones for Taiwan, Wu said.
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck off Tainan at 11:47am today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 32.3km northeast of Tainan City Hall at a depth of 7.3km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Tainan and Chiayi County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and County, and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Kaohsiung, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taitung County and offshore Penghu County, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of
Weather conditions across Taiwan are expected to remain stable today, but cloudy to rainy skies are expected from tomorrow onward due to increasing moisture in the atmosphere, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). Daytime highs today are expected to hit 25-27°C in western Taiwan and 22-24°C in the eastern counties of Yilan, Hualien, and Taitung, data on the CWA website indicated. After sunset, temperatures could drop to 16-17°C in most parts of Taiwan. For tomorrow, precipitation is likely in northern Taiwan as a cloud system moves in from China. Daytime temperatures are expected to hover around 25°C, the CWA said. Starting Monday, areas
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
Taiwan has recorded its first fatal case of Coxsackie B5 enterovirus in 10 years after a one-year-old boy from southern Taiwan died from complications early last month, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. CDC spokesman Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞) told a news conference that the child initially developed a fever and respiratory symptoms before experiencing seizures and loss of consciousness. The boy was diagnosed with acute encephalitis and admitted to intensive care, but his condition deteriorated rapidly, and he passed away on the sixth day of illness, Lo said. This also marks Taiwan’s third enterovirus-related death this year and the first severe
RSS