France dismisses China's 'serious concerns' over lawmakers' upcoming visit to Taiwan

French foreign ministry said that Senators in France are free to meet whomever they wish when they travel to other nations rebuffing China’s concerns after its embassy in Paris warned lawmakers against meeting officials in Taiwan during an upcoming visit to the self-ruled island. The remarks by the French government came on March 17 after China’s ambassador in February sent a letter to the head of the Senate’s Taiwan Friendship Group, Alain Richard urging that no meetings shall take place with Taiwanese officials as it would damage the France-China ties and calling democratic Taiwan as a part of “one China.”

When asked about the Chinese ambassador’s letter to the French Senator over the Taiwan visit, the French foreign ministry in a daily press briefing said, “French parliamentarians are free to make decisions about their own travel plans and contacts.”

What did Chinese ambassador say?

Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye on March 16 wrote to French Senator Alain Richard, over the plans to visit self-ruled Taiwan in the summer. While Taiwan recognises itself as a democratic country with an elected government, China has always called its own ‘breakaway’ province and criticised and individual contact with the island by governments across the world. One of the reasons for deteriorating US-China relations is Washington officials meeting with Taiwanese officials. However, now that France government is also showing no response to China raising “serious concerns” over the upcoming visit to what Beijing considers its “inalienable part.”

Chinese Ambassador told French Senator, “The Chinese Embassy in France learned on the French Senate website that the Senate-Taiwan Exchange and Study Group recently met and decided to visit Taiwan this summer if the health situation permits. The Chinese Embassy expresses serious concerns in this regard. It is known to all that there is only one China in the world and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. China has always strongly opposed any form of official contact between countries having diplomatic relations with China and the Taiwan region.”

“A visit by the Senate-Taiwan Exchange and Study Group to the Taiwan region will clearly violate the one-China principle and send the wrong signal to "Taiwan independence forces." China is strongly opposed to it,” it added.