March 13, 2023
The United Kingdom and France held their 36th leaders’ summit at the Palais de l’Élysée on March 10. After the meeting, the two countries issued a joint declaration reaffirming the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and calling for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues. They also welcomed deepening engagement with Indo-Pacific partners and solemnly urged China to not provide material assistance to Russia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) strongly welcomes and appreciates the attention that the French and British governments have paid to security across the Taiwan Strait.
It is of special significance that two major European powers have expressed shared concern over peace across the Taiwan Strait. Last December, the UK House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee recommended that the UK government incorporate changes in the Integrated Review to convey a pro-Taiwan stance. France also affirmed its friendly position regarding Taiwan in its Indo-Pacific strategy updated last year and during the recent France-Australia Foreign and Defence Ministerial Consultations. These statements demonstrate the UK and French governments’ staunch support for Taiwan. They also underscore the high level of consensus among democratic nations on maintaining cross-strait peace and stability as well as on security across the Taiwan Strait being an indispensable element to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Taiwan will continue to work with like-minded international partners to jointly safeguard peace, openness, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and freedom and democracy across the globe.
This year’s summit was chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who each led a delegation comprising government officials, business leaders, and youth representatives. Holding this summit is testament to the deep and solid relations between the two countries and opens a new chapter in interactions between the United Kingdom and European Union member states.