French Lawmakers Defy Pro-China Report, Defend Taiwan's Global Status

The French National Assembly's Taiwan Friendship Group announced a strong rebuttal to a contentious report on Europe-China relations authored by French legislator Sophia Chikirou of the La France Insoumise (LFI) party. They criticized the document for aligning too closely with Beijing's propaganda and misrepresenting United Nations Resolution 2758, according to the Taipei Times.

This 153-page report, approved for publication on June 17 after a brief debate with just eight committee members, sparked widespread criticism from both political figures and academics. The report's pro-China stance was noted to be in contrast with the French government's official position, as reported by Taipei Times. Led by lawmaker Marie-Noelle Battistel, the Taiwan Friendship Group released a statement contesting the report's claim that the United Nations has formally recognized Taiwan as a province of China.

The group emphasized that UN Resolution 2758 merely acknowledged the People's Republic of China (PRC) as the legitimate representative of 'China' at the UN and did not define Taiwan's legal status. It also asserted that the resolution does not prevent Taiwan from participating in other international organizations. They accused the report of parroting Beijing's false narrative.

In reference to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the group declared the Taiwan Strait as international waters, encouraging the French government and its allies to continue naval voyages through the Strait to ensure freedom of navigation and support the Indo-Pacific status quo. They warned against China's escalating military exercises and frequent intrusions into Taiwan's air space, which they claim are attempts by Beijing to destabilize the region.

The group also rejected the report's suggestion to replace the EU's current Indo-Pacific strategy with a framework more accommodating to China. They argued that such a move would be a dangerous concession, contradicting international law and undermining France's interests in the South Pacific, as covered by the Taipei Times.

(With inputs from agencies.)