TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) on Friday called for stronger cooperation between Taiwan and France in technology, artificial intelligence, space, and culture.
Speaking during a meeting with a French delegation led by French National Assembly Foreign Affairs Committee Secretary Estelle Youssouffa, Hsiao thanked France’s National Assembly for supporting Taiwan’s international participation. She also said Youssouffa had long shown support for Taiwan and helped strengthen ties between the two sides.
Hsiao said France had taken concrete steps to support security in the Taiwan Strait. She noted that France’s seven-year military planning law lists freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait as an important goal for France and its global partners.
“Taiwan is facing a fast-changing global situation,” Hsiao said, pointing to conflicts in Europe and the Middle East. She added Taiwan is working to protect regional peace and hopes the international community will continue to support it.
Hsiao also said Taiwan must respond to global economic changes, including new US tariff measures and the rapid growth of AI. Despite these challenges, she said Taiwan’s economy still performed well in the first quarter.
“Taiwan is strengthening cooperation with democratic partners in Europe, the US, and Japan,” Hsiao said. She added that Taiwan and France have already made progress in space, AI, and other technology fields.
“Cultural exchanges are also an important part of Taiwan-France relations,” Hsiao said. Taiwan sent a large cultural delegation to France during the 2024 Paris Olympics, while a recent French cultural festival in Kaohsiung drew many visitors, per Rti Francais.
