Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs François Chih-chung Wu hosted a delegation from French Polynesia Aug. 25 in Taipei City, the first such visiting group from France’s only overseas country in nearly four decades.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the seven-member group comprises political figures including Senator Teva Rohfritsch, as well as Gaston Tong Sang and Edouard Fritch, both former presidents of the overseas French country.
Wu welcomed the delegates and said their visit demonstrates friendship for Taiwan. Based on solid Taiwan-France relations, the deputy minister looks forward to expanding bilateral cooperation to write a new chapter in the two-way relationship.
The deputy minister said Taiwan’s key position in the global semiconductor supply chain is rooted in its industrial cooperation with like-minded partners such as France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands and the U.S. The country is committed to deepening ties with the rest of the world across all sectors for mutual prosperity, he added.
In response, Rohfritsch thanked the government of Taiwan for the warm hospitality, noting that the two are both located in the Indo-Pacific and share Austronesian heritage. He said that French Polynesia hopes to enhance collaboration with Taiwan in culture, fishery and tourism.
Tong Sang and Fritch praised Taiwan’s vibrant civil society and said the two sides are both home to a sizable Hakka community, underscoring the success of democratic values and harmony in a diverse ethnic mix. The two former presidents welcomed the prospect of expanding cooperation.
The MOFA said that during their six-day stay, the delegates will call at the Ministries of Agriculture and Education, the Hakka Affairs Council, the Council of Indigenous Affairs and the Ocean Affairs Council. They will also visit an Indigenous Thao tribal community in Sun Moon Lake to better understand local Indigenous culture and pave the way for further cultural exchange and tourism promotion. (SFC-E)
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