President Daniel K.Y. Han of the Legislative Yuan receives and hosts luncheon for seven-member delegation from the French Senate's Taiwan Friendship Group; President Han: We welcome the delegation to the Legislative Yuan and look forward to continue to deepen the bilateral cooperation between Taiwan and France.
On the morning of September 16, President of the Legislative Yuan Daniel K.Y. Han (韓國瑜), accompanied by DPP Legislator Lin Chu-Yin, Chair of the Taiwan-France Parliamentary Friendship Association; KMT Legislator Adm. Chen Yeong-Kang; and Director Kevin C.F. Lin of the Department of International Affairs, met with and hosted a luncheon in honor of a visiting seven-member delegation from the French Senate’s Taiwan Friendship Group led by its Vice President Rachid Temal. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ger Bau-Shuan, Deputy Director-General of the Department of European Affairs Chen Ming-Chieh, as well as Deputy Director Cléa Le Cardeur and political advisor and Head of Press and Communication Vincent Yanelle of the French Office in Taipei, also attended the meeting.
Following a group photograph with the accompanying legislators and visiting guests, President Han remarked that this visit marked the sixth delegation from France he has received during his tenure, underscoring the depth and vitality of the cordial exchanges between Taiwan and France. President Han proceeded to introduce the Legislative Yuan as a unicameral legislature comprising 113 members, and subsequently presented the two legislators from different parties who were accompanying him in the reception.
President Han further pointed out that the character "法" (fă), used in the Mandarin name for France, embodies the concepts of fairness, justice, regulations, and governance, signifying Taiwan’s profound recognition and esteem for France. President Han further added that the French political thought has exerted a profound influence on the Republic of China (Taiwan); for instance, Montesquieu’s concept of the separation of powers has had a far-reaching impact worldwide and has provided significant inspiration for Taiwan’s Constitution, highlighting that were it not for France, the brilliance of today’s Western civilization would be far less radiant. President Han expressed the hope that Taiwan and France will engage in further exchanges across multiple dimensions, and concluded by once again extending a warm welcome to the visiting delegation.
Vice President Temal, head of the delegation, expressed his gratitude to President Han for taking the time to meet with the delegation and conveyed the apologies of French Senate’s Taiwan Friendship Group Chair Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, who was unable to attend due to constituency matters. Vice President Temal further stated that the delegation comprises members from different political parties, reflecting not only France’s pluralistic political landscape but also the cross-party support of the French Parliament for democratic Taiwan. He noted that the visit underscores the French Senate’s emphasis on parliamentary diplomacy while expressing the hope of strengthening bilateral exchanges in culture, science, economy, and social resilience. He also took the opportunity to commend the outstanding work of the French Office in Taipei and the Taipei Representative Office in France, and sincerely extended an invitation to President Han to lead a delegation on a future visit to France.
Following the exchange of commemorative gifts, the luncheon commenced, during which both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on topics of mutual interest. President Han noted that Taiwan not only possesses advanced semiconductor manufacturing technologies and globally competitive industrial clusters, but also excels in biotechnology development. He expressed the hope that Taiwan and France can further expand cooperation in this field to jointly create boundless business opportunities. Chair Temal expressed his sincere gratitude for President Han’s proposal, indicating that he would convey it to the relevant administrative departments in France, and expressed his confidence that numerous French pharmaceutical companies and research institutions would hold strong interest in this bilateral cooperation.
Legislator Lin then spoke, noting that she had just returned this morning from visiting France and other European countries, and expressed her pleasure at being able to meet again in Taipei with the delegation members, including Legislator Yannick Jadot and Executive Secretary Philippe Péjo, after only a few days, once again extending a warm welcome to the visiting delegation to Taiwan. She further explained that Vice President Temal referred to her as “Madame Champagne” in recognition of her initiative in 2022, when the Legislative Yuan approved her proposal to reduce tariffs on French Champagne to 10%, the same rate as for red and white wines, as a gesture of appreciation for France’s steadfast international support of Taiwan. Legislator Lin further expressed her gratitude to President Han for his efforts in deepening Taiwan-France relations and for his strong support of parliamentary exchanges between the two countries. She also expressed appreciation for the warm reception extended by the French Senate in November 2024 to the cross-party delegation led by Vice President Dr. Johnny C. Chiang (江啟臣), which facilitated regular reciprocal exchanges between the two legislatures. Lastly, she noted that many French companies participated in the recent SEMICON Taiwan held in Taipei, and that Taiwan’s Foxconn plans to increase its investments in France, which she believes will help further deepen Taiwan-France economic cooperation and two-way investment.
Legislator Chen, on behalf of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee and the KMT caucus, extended a sincere welcome to the delegation and expressed appreciation for France’s long-standing attention to Indo-Pacific security and its steadfast support for democratic Taiwan. He shared that he had visited France on several occasions in the past, primarily for discussions on defense procurement and related issues, and was deeply impressed by the country’s rich historical and cultural heritage. He expressed the hope that, beyond cooperation in technology and culture, Taiwan and France could also deepen educational exchanges to further enhance mutual understanding and friendship.
The two sides also held extensive discussions on a wide range of topics, including SEMICON Taiwan, developments in biotechnology, sports exchanges, the current political situations of both Taiwan and France, the operation and budget review process of the Legislative Yuan, the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on Taiwan, Indo-Pacific security, the situation of the Taiwan Strait, and the influence of social media on the spread of misinformation and disinformation. The meeting took place in a cordial and relaxed atmosphere, with both sides enjoying warm and friendly exchanges. The luncheon concluded after approximately two hours.
Following a group photograph with the accompanying legislators and visiting guests, President Han remarked that this visit marked the sixth delegation from France he has received during his tenure, underscoring the depth and vitality of the cordial exchanges between Taiwan and France. President Han proceeded to introduce the Legislative Yuan as a unicameral legislature comprising 113 members, and subsequently presented the two legislators from different parties who were accompanying him in the reception.
President Han further pointed out that the character "法" (fă), used in the Mandarin name for France, embodies the concepts of fairness, justice, regulations, and governance, signifying Taiwan’s profound recognition and esteem for France. President Han further added that the French political thought has exerted a profound influence on the Republic of China (Taiwan); for instance, Montesquieu’s concept of the separation of powers has had a far-reaching impact worldwide and has provided significant inspiration for Taiwan’s Constitution, highlighting that were it not for France, the brilliance of today’s Western civilization would be far less radiant. President Han expressed the hope that Taiwan and France will engage in further exchanges across multiple dimensions, and concluded by once again extending a warm welcome to the visiting delegation.
Vice President Temal, head of the delegation, expressed his gratitude to President Han for taking the time to meet with the delegation and conveyed the apologies of French Senate’s Taiwan Friendship Group Chair Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, who was unable to attend due to constituency matters. Vice President Temal further stated that the delegation comprises members from different political parties, reflecting not only France’s pluralistic political landscape but also the cross-party support of the French Parliament for democratic Taiwan. He noted that the visit underscores the French Senate’s emphasis on parliamentary diplomacy while expressing the hope of strengthening bilateral exchanges in culture, science, economy, and social resilience. He also took the opportunity to commend the outstanding work of the French Office in Taipei and the Taipei Representative Office in France, and sincerely extended an invitation to President Han to lead a delegation on a future visit to France.
Following the exchange of commemorative gifts, the luncheon commenced, during which both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on topics of mutual interest. President Han noted that Taiwan not only possesses advanced semiconductor manufacturing technologies and globally competitive industrial clusters, but also excels in biotechnology development. He expressed the hope that Taiwan and France can further expand cooperation in this field to jointly create boundless business opportunities. Chair Temal expressed his sincere gratitude for President Han’s proposal, indicating that he would convey it to the relevant administrative departments in France, and expressed his confidence that numerous French pharmaceutical companies and research institutions would hold strong interest in this bilateral cooperation.
Legislator Lin then spoke, noting that she had just returned this morning from visiting France and other European countries, and expressed her pleasure at being able to meet again in Taipei with the delegation members, including Legislator Yannick Jadot and Executive Secretary Philippe Péjo, after only a few days, once again extending a warm welcome to the visiting delegation to Taiwan. She further explained that Vice President Temal referred to her as “Madame Champagne” in recognition of her initiative in 2022, when the Legislative Yuan approved her proposal to reduce tariffs on French Champagne to 10%, the same rate as for red and white wines, as a gesture of appreciation for France’s steadfast international support of Taiwan. Legislator Lin further expressed her gratitude to President Han for his efforts in deepening Taiwan-France relations and for his strong support of parliamentary exchanges between the two countries. She also expressed appreciation for the warm reception extended by the French Senate in November 2024 to the cross-party delegation led by Vice President Dr. Johnny C. Chiang (江啟臣), which facilitated regular reciprocal exchanges between the two legislatures. Lastly, she noted that many French companies participated in the recent SEMICON Taiwan held in Taipei, and that Taiwan’s Foxconn plans to increase its investments in France, which she believes will help further deepen Taiwan-France economic cooperation and two-way investment.
Legislator Chen, on behalf of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee and the KMT caucus, extended a sincere welcome to the delegation and expressed appreciation for France’s long-standing attention to Indo-Pacific security and its steadfast support for democratic Taiwan. He shared that he had visited France on several occasions in the past, primarily for discussions on defense procurement and related issues, and was deeply impressed by the country’s rich historical and cultural heritage. He expressed the hope that, beyond cooperation in technology and culture, Taiwan and France could also deepen educational exchanges to further enhance mutual understanding and friendship.
The two sides also held extensive discussions on a wide range of topics, including SEMICON Taiwan, developments in biotechnology, sports exchanges, the current political situations of both Taiwan and France, the operation and budget review process of the Legislative Yuan, the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on Taiwan, Indo-Pacific security, the situation of the Taiwan Strait, and the influence of social media on the spread of misinformation and disinformation. The meeting took place in a cordial and relaxed atmosphere, with both sides enjoying warm and friendly exchanges. The luncheon concluded after approximately two hours.