Taiwan is set to open a representative office in Aix-en-Provence, southern France, as part of government efforts to bolster Taiwan-France cooperation and exchanges, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Aug. 25.
According to the MOFA, France is a core member state of the EU and a key trade partner of Taiwan. The move is expected to boost the two sides’ collaboration in areas spanning aerospace, biomedicine, business, culture, education and technology, the ministry added.
The MOFA also highlighted Aix-en-Provence’s geographical advantages as part of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis and its proximity to Lyon, the third largest city in France; Grenoble, a technology and innovation hub; Montpellier, a global environmental research center; Toulouse, an aerospace base; and Sophia Antipolis science park, located between Nice and Cannes.
Southern France is a popular tourist destination for local residents, as demonstrated by a 62 percent increase in the number of Taiwan travelers visiting France from 2016 to 2019, the MOFA said, adding that the number of French visitors to Taiwan also saw growth of nearly 30 percent over the same period.
The new site will provide services to Taiwan tourists and expatriates in southern France while enhancing people-to-people exchanges and friendship between the two sides, the MOFA added. It will be Taiwan’s second representative office in France, with the first located in Paris. (YCH-E)
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