French Assembly Adopts Resolution Backing Taiwan’s Global Participation

A city view shows the French flag above the skyline of the French capital as the Eiffel Tower and roof tops are seen in Paris, France, on March 30, 2016. Benoit Tessier/Reuters

The French Assembly adopted a new resolution on Nov. 29 to support Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.

The self-ruled island of 24 million inhabitants has been barred from participating in international bodies like the United Nations (U.N.) and World Health Organization by the Chinese regime, which considers Taiwan a wayward province.

On Monday, the French National Assembly adopted the resolution, with 39 votes in favor, 2 against, and 3 abstentions.

The non-binding resolution called on the French government to offer support for Taiwan’s attendance in global agencies, including the World Health Assembly, International Criminal Police Organization, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The move came six months after the French Senate passed a similar resolution calling for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in U.N. agencies, with 304 voting in favor and zero opposing in May.

The resolution was welcomed by Taiwan. The island’s foreign ministry expressed gratitude in Tuesday’s statement, adding the partnership with France is based on shared values of democracy, freedom, and human rights.

But the news angers the communist regime in China. In another statement, the Chinese embassy in Paris offered “strong opposition” and blamed the move endorsing “pro-independence forces in Taiwan.”

The regime claimed the self-ruled island as its own territory to be taken by force, if necessary. Beijing also claimed it has the sole right to represent Taiwan internationally. While Taipei denounced the position, it has been shut out of the World Health Assembly as an observer since 2017.

However, as Beijing gets increasingly aggressive toward the island, more European countries show a willingness to engage with the democratically run island.

Four French senators arrived in Taiwan at the beginning of October. The non-official visits came after Beijing sent nearly 150 military aircraft over Taiwan’s air defense zone over four days.

On Nov. 2, for the first time ever, the European Parliament sent an official delegation to the island. At the press conference, Raphael Glucksmann, a French member of the European Parliament, told Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, “Europe is standing with you.”

Most recently, delegations from three Baltic nations—Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia—landed in Taipei on Oct. 28 to attend a democracy forum hosted by Taiwan.

On the same day, Beijing sent 27 military aircraft to Taiwan’s southwest Air Defense Identification Zone.

Dovile Sakaliene, a member of Lithuania’s parliament, dismissed the warning, saying in a post on Monday that “CCP [Chinese Communist Party] will never understand how #democracy works.”