December 12, 2017
No.234
Jean-François Cesarini, a member of the French National Assembly and chairman of its Taiwan-France Friendship Group, is leading a five-member delegation to Taiwan from December 11 to 14 at the invitation of the Republic of China (Taiwan) government.
With a strong interest for start-up industries, energy transition, civic technologies, and digital culture, the members of the delegation hope to gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s most recent developments in these areas and beyond, and to strengthen bilateral friendship and cooperation between France and Taiwan.
The delegation will call on President Tsai Ing-wen and Legislative Yuan President Su Jia-chyuan, call at the Ministry of Culture, the Environmental Protection Administration, and Taichung City government, as well as attend a reception hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Furthermore, in addition to visiting such sites of cultural and economic interest as the Taiwan Air Force Innovation Base, the Open Culture Foundation, the National Palace Museum, and Taipei 101, the delegation will also conduct exchanges with a number of local startups.
In recent years, Taiwan and France have enjoyed close exchanges and cooperation in such areas as trade, science and technology, culture, the arts, and air transport. As Taiwan’s fourth-largest trading partner in Europe, France is also one of Taiwan’s most important global partners in the field of scientific research and development. The two countries also signed a joint declaration on the youth working holiday program in July 2016, officially launching it on August 8 the same year. A schedule of direct, daily flights between Taipei and Paris starting October 10, 2016, has also helped expanding bilateral youth and people-to-people exchanges. Looking forward, Taiwan and France will continue to promote even closer relations based on the foundations already laid.
In addition to Jean-François Cesarini, the other members of the delegation are Jean-Jacques Gaultier, vice chairman of the Taiwan-France Friendship Group; and Jacques Cattin, Laurence Trastour-Isnart, and Jean François Mbaye, all members of the group. Mr. Cesarini visited Taiwan last year to attend a French Tech Culture workshop, while Mr. Gaultier visited Taiwan in 2011; the other members of the delegation are visiting Taiwan for the first time. (E)