September 10, 2018
No.225
An eight-member delegation from the French National Assembly led by Michel Herbillon, Vice President of its Foreign Affairs Committee and member of the France-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group, is visiting Taiwan from September 10 to 14 at the invitation of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs warmly welcomes the delegates.
The visit will help the delegation members gain deeper insight into Taiwan’s political, economic, technological and social development, as well as advance bilateral friendship and cooperation between Taiwan and France. The delegation will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen and Legislative Yuan President Su Chia-chyuan. They will call at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Mainland Affairs Council and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in addition to attending the France-Taiwan Science Festival. Their itinerary also includes visits to the Asian Institute of TeleSurgery in Changhua County and sites of economic and cultural interest such as Taipei 101 and the National Palace Museum.
In addition to Michel Herbillon, the delegation includes Jacques Maire, also Vice President of the French National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Committee; Jérôme Lambert and Didier Quentin, both members of the Committee; Eric Bothorel, Vice Chairman of the France-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group; and Eric Straumann, a member of the Economic Affairs Committee. With the exception of Mr. Straumann, all delegation members are visiting Taiwan for the first time.
In recent years, Taiwan and France have developed close exchanges in economy, trade, technology, culture, the arts and aviation. France is Taiwan’s fourth-largest trading partner in Europe and an important scientific research partner in Europe and beyond. The two countries also implemented a youth working holiday program in 2016.
Furthermore, in April this year, Taiwan’s China Airlines and Air France began offering nonstop codeshare flights between Taipei and Paris three times a week. In addition to the daily flights operated by EVA Air, this brought the total number of weekly flights between the two capitals to 10, and has bolstered bilateral commercial, tourism, and civilian ties. In the future, Taiwan and France will build on this excellent foundation to further advance bilateral relations. (E)