The perception of Taiwan in France keeps improving due to the shared values of the two countries and Taiwan’s capable management of COVID-19, France’s top envoy in Taipei said on the eve of the European country’s national day.
French Office in Taipei Director Jean-Francois Casabonne-Masonnave said in an interview on Tuesday that he wanted to share with all Taiwanese the joy of French on Bastille Day, which was celebrated yesterday.
A national day reception was supposed to take place in Taipei, but it was canceled due to a level 3 COVID-19 alert in Taiwan, he said.
Photo: CNA
Nevertheless, he said he is hopeful that a reception can be held next year, and asked his compatriots in Taiwan to be patient and remain grateful for Taiwan, despite the inconvenience of COVID-19 control measures.
“We should not forget, of course, we are safe and secure here in Taiwan, more than in any other place in the world,” he said.
Casabonne-Masonnave also said that the perception of Taiwan in France is much better than two or three years ago.
That is due to Taiwan’s vibrant freedom and democracy, especially in contrast to the erosion of those rights in Hong Kong, as well as Taiwan’s effectiveness at managing the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
Taiwan’s progress in advancing human rights, such as the legalization of same-marriage in 2019, has also increased its visibility in France, he said.
“The way democracy is working in Taiwan is the closest to Europe, from my view,” he said.
“Cooperation in the field of human rights and democracy is something we can do in the region with Taiwan, and we have not so many” possible partners, he added.
Asked about his country’s presence in the Indo-Pacific region, Casabonne-Masonnave said France and other major powers have long been in the region to maintain freedom of navigation.
France has undertaken military exercises with regional partners, and “what is new is that we have more partners,” he said.
Regarding the situation in the Taiwan Strait, he said: “We want peace and stability for everyone.”
Asked about the prospect of a trade agreement between Taiwan and France, Casabonne-Masonnave said that as protectionism is on the rise, public opinion in Europe is not in favor of discussing free-trade agreements.
He said that Taiwan and France do not need a free-trade agreement, as French investment in Taiwan has reached US$1.25 billion, despite the lack of such a deal.
What the French government wants to work on is attracting more Taiwanese investment and creating opportunities for more economic cooperation, as there is less than US$100 million worth of Taiwanese investment in France, he said.
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
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