France–Taiwan relations

France-Taiwan relations

France	Taiwan

France–Taiwan relations are relations between France and the Taiwan (also known as the Republic of China).

History[]

Japanese colonial rule[]

During the Japanese colonial rule, the Vichy regime opened a consulate in Taihoku in February 1942.^[1]

Republic of China[]

Early years[]

The French Third Republic recognized the establishment of the Republic of China and established diplomatic relations with the Beiyang government on 7 October 1913. After the outbreak of war, the French government recruited Chinese workers to work in French factories. Li Shizeng and his friends organized the Société Franco-Chinoise d'Education (華法教育會 HuaFa jiaoyuhui) in 1916. Many worker-students who came to France after the war became high level members of the Chinese Communist Party. These included Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping. The Institut Franco Chinoise de Lyon (1921—1951) promoted cultural exchanges.^[2]

During World War II, Free France and the Nationalist government, who had overthrown the Beiyang and the warlords, fought as allied powers against the Axis powers of Germany, Italy and Japan. After the invasion of France in 1940, although the newly formed Vichy France was an ally of Germany, it continued to recognize the Kuomintang government of Chiang Kai-shek—which had to flee to Chongqing in the Chinese interior after the fall of Nanjing in 1937—rather than the Japanese-sponsored Reorganized National Government of China under Wang Jingwei. French diplomats in China remained accredited to the government in Chongqing.^[3]

On 18 August 1945 in Chongqing, while the Japanese were still occupying Kwangchow Wan following the surrender, a French diplomat and Kuo Chang Wu, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China, signed the Convention between the Provisional Government of the French Republic and the National Government of China for the retrocession of the Leased Territory of Kouang-Tchéou-Wan. Almost immediately after the last Japanese occupation troops had left the territory in late September, representatives of the French and the Chinese governments went to Fort-Bayard to proceed to the transfer of authority; the French flag was lowered for the last time on 20 November 1945.^[4] That October, The national government of China gained control of Taiwan. Afterwards, China and France became the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.^{[citation needed]}

Cold War[]

After the Chinese Civil War and the establishment of the new communist-led People's Republic of China (PRC) on 1 October 1949, the French Fourth Republic government refused to recognize the PRC after the ROC government retreated to Taiwan. France played a minor role in the Korean War. In the 1950s, communist insurgents based in China repeatedly invaded and attacked French facilities in Indochina. After a major defeat by the Vietnamese communists at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, France pulled out and turned North Vietnam over to the Communists. By exiting Southeast Asia, France avoided confrontations with China. However, the Cultural Revolution sparked violence against French diplomats in China, and relationships cooled. The powerful French Communist Party generally supported the Soviet Union in the Sino-Soviet split and China had therefore a very weak base of support inside France, apart from some militant students.^[5]

However, by 1964 France and the PRC officially established ambassadorial level diplomatic relations ending relations with the ROC. This was precipitated by Charles de Gaulle's official recognition of the PRC.^{[citation needed]}

Recent history[]

In 2016, a delegation of French legislators led by Francois de Rugy visited Taiwan.^[6]

In 2018, China made accusations against France after a French naval vessel transited the Taiwan Strait.^[7]

In December 2020, Taiwan opened its second representative office in France, in Aix-en-Provence.^[8]

In October 2021, a delegation of French senators visited Taiwan.^[9]

In November 2021, the French parliament passed a resolution which called on the French government to support Taiwan's participation in international organizations. The Taiwanese government praised the resolution.^[10]

In December 2021, a delegation of lawmakers from the French National Assembly visited Taiwan.^[11][12][13]

Military relations[]

Defense relations between France and Taiwan have been significant with Taiwan acquiring a number of major weapons platforms from France.^[14]

Scandals[]

Taiwan frigate scandal[]

The Taiwan frigate deal was a huge political scandal, both in Taiwan and France.^[15] Eight people involved in the contract died in unusual and possibly suspicious circumstances.^[16] Arms dealer Andrew Wang fled Taiwan to the UK after the body of presumptive whistleblower Captain Yin Ching-feng was found floating in the sea.^[17] In 2001, Swiss authorities froze accounts held by Andrew Wang, his wife, and his son Bruno Wang in connection to the Taiwan frigate scandal.^[18]

See also[]

• Taipei Representative Office in France
• French Office in Taipei
• Taiwan–European Union relations

References[]