TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — First Secretary of the Socialist Party Olivier Faure said Taiwan is already a de facto independent country and has never been governed by the Chinese Communist Party, CNA reported Saturday.
Faure made the remarks in an interview with the French newspaper Liberation after visiting Taiwan from May 23-29, per CNA. He said Taiwan has its own government, military, currency and democratic institutions — and that China has never ruled Taiwan.
Faure said growing uncertainty over US policy toward Taiwan reinforced his decision to make the trip. He described the Indo-Pacific as a critical region for global stability and said democracy is facing increasing challenges worldwide.
He warned that a conflict or blockade in the Taiwan Strait would have severe global economic consequences because Taiwan produces a majority of the world’s advanced semiconductors. Every production chain from phones to data centers passes through Taiwan at some point, he explained.
Faure said maintaining peace across the strait is essential and opposed any attempt to change the status quo through force. He added that recognizing Beijing as China’s government does not require accepting Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan.
Asked about Taiwan’s political status, Faure said no declaration of independence is necessary because Taiwan already functions as a democratic state. He added that Taiwan’s international status remains deliberately ambiguous, but its people have a clear right to self-determination.
The French lawmaker also criticized recent comments by La France Insoumise founder Jean-Luc Melenchon, who said, “Taiwan belongs to China.” Faure said he supports the rights of democratic societies and argued that Taiwan’s future should not be decided through coercion.
