The delegation led by Minister Kung, Ming-Hsin of the National Development Council (NDC) arrived at its third stop—France. Facilitated by the Taipei Representative Office in France, the delegation successfully concluded its visit to Dunkirk on July 31, where it had received a warm reception from Member of the National Assembly Ms. Christine Decodts and Vice President Mr. Jean-Francois Montagne at Urban Community of Dunkirk. A guided tour of the local industrial landscape was arranged by Agency of Promotion Dunkirk.
A press conference was jointly held by Ms. Decodts, Vice President Montagne, Minister Kung, and ROC Representative to France Wu Chi-Chung upon concluding the visit. A notable highlight of the event was Vice President Montagne's presentation of an honorary medal to Minister Kung and Representative Wu, symbolizing the enduring friendship between France and Taiwan. Vice President Montagne extended an invitation for the Taiwan delegation to revisit France. Additionally, Ms. Decodts, a member of French Senate's Taiwan Friendship Group, shared her reasons for joining the Group and how the event was co-organized.
In his remarks, Minister Kung stated that Taiwan's industrial focus had traditionally leaned towards the Indo-Pacific market. However, the landscape had shifted after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when donations of medical supplies and vaccines created a virtuous cycle of goodwill between Taiwan and Europe. Minister Kung noted that he had led a 66-member delegation to Central and Eastern Europe in 2021, a mission that yielded 18 MOUs and initiated impactful industrial collaboration. Subsequently, European Connectivity Project was rolled out in 2022 with the objective of forging deeper bonds with Europe. In a similar vein, this time around he led a delegation of 28 members to come to Europe once again. The earlier stops in the Czech Republic and Poland featured substantive discussions and exchanges on semiconductors, 5G O-RAN, scholarships, talent exchange, humanitarian aid for Ukrainian refugees, and post-war reconstruction, among others.
Minister Kung noted that France marked the final destination of his trip. In the discussions centering on pivotal net-zero emissions in Dunkirk, valuable insights were gained into Dunkirk's prospective development and enterprises’ role in contributing to circular economy and net-zero cities. Enhanced cooperation on net-zero emissions between cities in Taiwan and Dunkirk was highlighted, which allows Taiwanese corporations to tap into the European market while offering Dunkirk-based enterprises access to the Indo-Pacific market via Taiwan, fostering substantial contributions on a global scale.
Minister Kung reaffirmed the shared values of democracy, freedom, and human rights between Taiwan, a reliable partner, and France and underscored opportunities for sustained industrial collaboration between Taiwan and France in the future.
For more details, please contact:
Connie Chang, Director General of the Department of Overall Planning
0910-213-556