French delegation heads to Taiwan as tensions mount across the strait

Island’s foreign ministry says senators led by Alain Richard will meet senior officials including President Tsai Ing-wen

It comes after the PLA flew almost 150 warplanes into Taiwan’s air defence zone over four days, starting on China’s National Day

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Alain Richard, head of the French Senate’s Taiwan Friendship Group, will lead the delegation. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images

Published: 8:01pm, 5 Oct 2021Updated: 8:01pm, 5 Oct 2021

A group of French senators including a former defence minister will visit Taiwan this week, the island’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday, with the visit coming at a time of soaring tensions between Taipei and Beijing and despite China’s opposition.

Their trip comes after the People’s Liberation Army flew almost 150 warplanes into Taiwan’s air defence zone over a four-day period beginning from October 1, China’s National Day holiday.

Beijing claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory and is always angered by any trips to the island by foreign officials.

Taiwanese foreign ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said the delegation would be led by Alain Richard, head of the French Senate’s Taiwan Friendship Group who was the country’s defence minister from 1997 to 2002 under President Jacques Chirac. Richard has visited Taiwan twice before, in 2015 and 2018.

Ou said Richard and his group would be coming despite pressure from Beijing.

“We are very moved by this and admire it,” she added.