Alain Richard, French Senator and Chair of the Senate’s Taiwan Friendship Group, led a cross-party delegation to Tainan City on April 27. The group, which was accompanied by the Chief of French Office in Taipei Pierre Goulange, visited Himax Technologies, Chihkan Tower, and Tainan Grand Mazu Temple in the morning then headed to the City Hall to visit Mayor Huang Wei-che in the afternoon. Su En-En, Director-General of the Department of Information and International Relations was also present during the visit. The French delegation later went to Tainan 228 Memorial Park to lay flowers and pay their respects.
Mayor Huang remarked that a French Senate delegation visiting Taiwan is a significant event in terms of the relationship between Taiwan and France. The Mayor gifted the guests with an orchid which has the French national flag spray-painted on it and expressed that the full blossom indicates the friendship between the two countries. He also stressed that since semiconductors have become a strategic industry for countries around the world, Taiwan’s importance in the international arena is evident as the Southern Taiwan Science Park is crucial in the global chip supply chain.
Huang further mentioned that in addition to being Taiwan’s Cultural Capital, Tainan is also the capital of delicacies and technology. In the future, the city hopes to further engage with its French counterparts in areas such as culture, art, and education. France is a country rich with culture and history and Tainan looks forward to helping the people on both sides gain more understanding of the other country. The French guests were served Tainan’s in-season pineapples and cantaloupes for the guests and Mayor Huang expressed that it would be wonderful if the French public could also taste these quality produce from Tainan.
Senator Alain Richard remarked that this visit is mainly to convey the French government’s support for Taiwan. The number of members in the Senate’s Taiwan Friendship Group is increasing and the members are actively promoting further understanding between the people of the two countries. The delegation members here this time are all from popular tourist regions and would like to see more interactions between France and Tainan. Richard went on to say that it is an honor to visit beautiful Tainan and to experience firsthand the city where Taiwan’s culture originated. The delegation was amazed by the orchid decorated with Tainan’s unique painting technology as well.
Alain Richard is the Senator for Val-d’Oise and Chair of the Senate’s Taiwan Friendship Group. He served as the Minister of Defense in 1997 and is a prominent figure in the French political circle. In 2021, he initiated and united cross-party lawmakers in the French Senate to pass a resolution supporting Taiwan to join international organizations and received the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon from President Tsai Ing-wen. Richard is an “old friend of Taiwan” and a strong advocate of human rights issues and this is his fourth visit to Taiwan and first visit to Tainan. He and the delegation made a stop at the Tainan 228 Memorial Park to lay flowers and pay tribute to the victims.