TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) visited the French Senate on Wednesday (Oct. 16), emphasizing the shared democratic values between Taiwan and France. During a luncheon with senators, she expressed hope for more partners to strengthen Taiwan-France relations.
Tsai arrived in France on Tuesday and received a warm welcome from senators at the French Senate after touring the Université Paris-Saclay.
She later thanked French friends on Facebook for their support during her presidency. She specifically expressed gratitude to Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, the head of the French Senate's Taiwan Friendship Group, for the invitation to thank France personally.
Highlighting the growing Taiwan-France exchanges, Tsai noted that Alain Richard, the former head of the Taiwan Friendship Group, visited Taiwan four times, fostering collaboration in trade, technology, culture, and education.
In 2021, the French Parliament passed a pro-Taiwan resolution supporting Taiwan's participation in international organizations, and last year's "7-Year Military Programming Law" (loi de programmation militaire, LPM) included pro-Taiwan language.
France became the first country to legislate for the protection of free navigation in the Taiwan Strait.
Tsai reiterated the shared values of democracy and freedom between Taiwan and France, expressing gratitude to French friends and looking forward to more partners joining efforts to strengthen Taiwan-France relations. She anticipates further achievements in this partnership.