TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A delegation of 14 legislators arrived in France for meetings with their counterparts, reports said Friday (April 14).

The trip came shortly after President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview about his official visit to China that France should not become involved in a confrontation between Beijing and Washington over Taiwan. He believes France should keep its distance from United States foreign policy.

Legislative Yuan Vice Speaker Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) led the delegation from the Foreign and National Defense Committee, which included lawmakers from the ruling DPP and the opposition. They were traveling at the invitation of the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce (WTCC), which is holding an April 14-16 general meeting in Paris.

Delegation member Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) told CNA how relations between Taiwan and France used to center on cultural and economic issues. However, in recent years, the political dimension has become more important thanks to the efforts of Taiwan’s representative office, he said.

During its stay in Paris, the delegation will also meet with members of the France-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group at the National Assembly and Senate, Lo added.

Kuomintang (KMT) lawmaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) praised the work of Taiwan’s representative in Paris, Francois Wu (吳志中), in making the country a more prominent topic of conversation in France. Both houses of France’s parliament had approved resolutions supporting Taiwan’s bid for membership of international organizations, he noted.