Opposition to any unilateral change of the cross-strait status quo reiterated by French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Stéphane Séjourné following China’s unilateral alteration of the M503 flight route, is deeply appreciated by the government and people of Taiwan, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Séjourné made the remarks while responding to a question from the French Senate Feb. 7. He also disagreed with the use of military or coercive measures to undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
The minister reaffirmed the importance that France placed on the freedom of navigation and overflight with respect to the Taiwan Strait, the MOFA said, adding that he also explicitly endorsed Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.
According to the MOFA, France has long shown concern over cross-strait and Indo-Pacific developments, as evidenced by its emphasis on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait in recent high-level meetings and multilateral statements issued with other countries, including Australia, Japan and the U.S.
The EU member state has expressed its stance through concrete action, including dispatching military vessels to traverse the Taiwan Strait, the MOFA said. Another example is the 2024-2030 Military Programming Law promulgated by French President Emmanuel Macron last August, which marked the first time that France included Taiwan in a law and the first time that a major country enacted legislation stressing freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait, the ministry added.
Taiwan and France share universal values of freedom, democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law, the MOFA said. Taiwan will continue to work with France to safeguard democracy and deepen bilateral cooperation in areas spanning economics, new energy, scientific research, technology and trade, the ministry added. (YCH-E)
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