TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) returned to Taiwan on Sunday after wrapping up a nine-day trip to France and the UK.
Han said he held talks with the president of the French Senate and the speaker of the UK House of Commons, CNA reported. The discussions represented a breakthrough for Taiwan’s future diplomatic efforts in both countries, he said.
Han also said that his delegation had extensive exchanges with pro-Taiwan parliamentary groups in France and the UK. He described their meetings as a success. Lawmakers from both countries also promised to visit Taiwan as soon as possible, Han said, with a group expected to arrive in late May, according to CNA.
Han said that think tanks in France and the UK expressed concern about issues such as US arms sales to Taiwan and the regional impacts of the Trump-Xi summit. During talks with experts at the French Institute of International Relations, Han said that if tensions in the Taiwan Strait were to escalate, the most unpredictable factor would be the level of international support for Taiwan. He said the more friends Taiwan has globally, the safer Taiwan will be.
He suggested that as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, France could speak up more for Taiwan on the international stage.
The legislative speaker said parliamentary diplomacy will remain an important mission in the future.
