TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The information the visiting French senate delegation will take back to France could become an important reference for shaping future Taiwan-France relations, Wu Chih-chung (吳志中), Taiwan's representative to France, said on Tuesday (June 7).
Joel Guerriau, vice chairman of the French Senate Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and vice chairman of the Taiwan Friendship Group, arrived in Taiwan at 6:51 a.m. Wednesday morning (June 8). Guerriau is leading a group of lawmakers including Vincent Eble, vice chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Senators Sylvie Goy-Chavent, Dany Wattebled, and Ludovic Haye.
Wu, who returned to Taiwan to receive the delegation, said the fact that the lawmakers managed to squeeze in a brief visit during the busy National Assembly election period highlights its strong support for Taiwan, CNA reported.
The timing of the delegation's visit is important, Wu said. Macron was only recently re-elected at the end of April and various policy directions for his new government are currently in the process of being formed, he noted.
This means the specific role Taiwan can play in France's future diplomatic strategy is also in the works, the representative said. The insights brought back by the delegation could impact future relations between the two countries, he said.
Wu added that France’s strategic thinking has led to actions that are expected to upgrade Taiwan-France relations. In France’s strategic report on the Indo-Pacific region released in February, Taiwan was mentioned several times and recognized as a key economic and trade partner for the first time ever, he said.
When the French government held its first Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific that same month, the press release identified Taiwan as a partner in the fight against COVID-19, Wu said.
The representative said that Guerriau is a longtime friend of Taiwan and has spared no effort to promote Taiwan-France relations. He and fellow senator Alain Richard co-sponsored a resolution supporting Taiwan’s international participation in March, which was passed with 304 votes in favor and 19 abstaining, marking the first-ever pro-Taiwan resolution to be passed in the French Senate.
According to the itinerary announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃), National Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo (顧立雄), Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), and other heads of relevant ministries. They will also visit various cultural sites and economic institutions, per CNA.