President Tsai Ing-wen said Nov. 15 that robust industrial and R&D collaboration between Taiwan and France is helping strengthen the innovation and technological capabilities of both sides.
 
Efforts to further bolster such mutually beneficial cooperation took a step forward in October with the launch of French Tech Taiwan in Taipei City, Tsai said.
 
Based at the Ministry of Science and Technology-administered Taiwan Tech Arena and established by La French Tech, a government-backed startup initiative, the incubator will help foster in-depth exchanges and lasting business connections between emerging Taiwan and French entrepreneurs, she added.
 
The president made the remarks while receiving a six-strong French parliamentary delegation led by Jean-Francois Cesarini, a member of the National Assembly and chairman of its Taiwan-France Friendship Group, at the Office of the President in Taipei.
 
Expressing thanks to Cesarini for his support of Taiwan, Tsai said that lawmakers from the two sides enjoy frequent exchanges. This was highlighted in July when Su Jia-chyuan became the first president of the Legislative Yuan to visit France’s National Assembly.
 
According to Tsai, strengthening ties are also evidenced by rising visitor numbers. Two-way tallies grew by 27.8 percent in 2017, statistics from the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications showed, while the number of direct flights between Taipei and Paris increased to 10 per week this year.
 
France is also Taiwan’s fourth largest trading partner in Europe, Tsai said, with bilateral trade volume soaring 24 percent to US$5.7 billion in 2017, according to the Bureau of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
 
These impressive gains demonstrate the potential for further expanding people-to-people links and economic cooperation, the president said, adding that she looks forward to Taiwan and France enhancing ties in key emerging sectors.
 
The French parliamentary delegation is on a four-day fact-finding tour through Nov. 16 to gain a deeper understanding of the country’s policies in such areas as digital economy, energy transformation and innovative industries. Their itinerary included visits to the Executive Yuan, Legislature and Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs, as well as attractions like Taipei 101 and Taichung World Flora Exposition in central Taiwan. (KWS-E)
 
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