Visiting French parliamentarians on Friday expressed support for Taiwan in the face of growing pressure from China and said it is important to maintain the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.
François de Rugy, who is part of a six-member delegation from France's parliament, said at a press conference that he is opposed to any acts of intimidation and menace that would jeopardize the current status quo in the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan is in a particular position, facing threats from China, at a time when Washington and Beijing are competing for influence in the Indo-Pacific region, de Rugy said.
It is important, therefore, that democracies show support for each other and that stability and security is maintained in the Taiwan Strait, he added.
Other members of the delegation, which arrived Wednesday on a five-day visit to Taiwan, expressed similar views, saying democracies should support each other.
Parliamentarian Frédérique Dumas said the European Union should go further in its stance against China's increasing pressure on Taiwan, but she did not elaborate, and she stressed that the status quo in the Taiwan Strait should not be disrupted.
France should support democratic countries being sanctioned by China, without fear of similar treatment, Dumas said, naming in particular Australia and Lithuania.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel