TAIPEI (Taiwan) — The president of Taiwan met Thursday with a French parliamentary delegation. They pledged their support for Taiwan.
Tsai Ig-wen was told by Senator Joel Guerriau, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and the Armed Forces, that he would help Taiwan resist its oppressors and support Taiwan’s freedom.
Guerriau stated, “I will confront those opposing Taiwan’s freedom and show Taiwan’s strength for those who ignore it.”
Tsai, who was elected president for a second time in 2020, stressed the strong link between Taiwan’s high tech economy and other countries within the European Union.
Tsai stated that “We expect Taiwanese and French to continue to strengthen cooperation in different fields.” France assumed the presidency of the Council of the EU on January 1.
This is the third visit by French legislators to Taiwan in the last month. It follows an earlier meeting between Tsai, a group from Slovakian lawmakers, which offered similar support for Taiwan’s democracy.
In defiance of China’s rise, Taiwan has been receiving increasing support from European countries. Current and former U.S. officials have visited Taiwan to show their support.
Guerriau was accompanied by Sylvie GoyChavent and Dany Wattebled, four French senators, Vincent Eble and Sylvie GoyChavent.
The European Commission introduced the European Chips Act in February. It aims to allow the EU and Taiwan to work closer together in the semiconductor industry.
China regularly threatens to retaliate against politicians and countries supporting Taiwan. As a result, China has only informal relations, if any, with the U.S., France, and many other countries.
After the Baltic nation agreed to have a Taiwanese representative in Vilnius, Lithuania, carry the name Taiwan, instead of Chinese Taipei (which other countries use to avoid offending Beijing), Beijing reacted negatively and stopped imports from Lithuania.
