In response to the critical criticism of the Chinese Embassy in France, the French Foreign Ministry claims that senators are free of their displacements.
Le Monde with AFP
Despite the agitated red cloth by Beijing, a delegation of four French senators led by a former Defense Minister arrived in Taiwan Wednesday, October 6th.
Since March, China is trying to deter French senators from making this trip on the island, which it considers one of its provinces. The Chinese Embassy in France warned that the visit would undermine the interests of China, Sino-French relations and “the image of France” in recent comments on its website.
The French Foreign Affairs Ministry rejected China’s protests, saying that senators were free from their travels. “Senators make this visit despite the threats of the Ambassador of China in France, thereby showing their unwavering commitment to the spirit of freedom and democracy”, declared the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Taiwanese in a statement, Tuesday .
“The principle of one China”
In February, the Ambassador of China had sent a letter to the former French defense minister Alain Richard, in which he declared that his visit “clearly violated the principle of one China and would send a bad signal to the Independent forces of Taiwan “. Member of the presidential majority, Alain Richard presides over the information and exchange group between the Senate and Taiwan. He has already visited the island in 2015 and 2018. He refutes for his part any question of the principle of one China.
The delegation will meet the Taiwanese president, Tsai Ing-Wen, Thursday, before finishing his trip Sunday, according to the Foreign Ministry of Taiwan. The Taiwanese president welcomed the French delegation.
WE SINCELY WELCOME THE FRENCH DELEGATION LED by SENATOR ALAIN Richard to Taiwan. I Look Forward to Meeting with Y … https://t.co/qnqegxw2va (@ 英文 Tsai ingwen)
Beijing opposes Taipei to have official exchanges with other countries and has insistently tried in recent years to dissuade politicians from getting there. Tensions with Taipei have further accentuated after a new series of Chinese aircraft incursions, Monday, in the Taipei Air Defense Zone.
The Minister of Defense Taiwanese estimated on Wednesday that the military relations with Beijing were at the lowest for four decades “for the army, the current situation has been the darkest for more than forty years,” said Chiu Kuo- Cheng in Parliament, while some 150 Chinese war planes have penetrated the Taiwan air defense zone since Beijing celebrated its national holiday on Friday. Mr. Chiu warned that even a “slight imprudence” or a “calculation error” could trigger “a crisis” in Taiwan’s Strait, adding that Beijing would be able to launch a large-scale attack in 2025.