President Lai confers decoration on French Office in Taipei Director Franck Paris

On the morning of July 15, President Lai Ching-te conferred the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon on French Office in Taipei Director Franck Paris in recognition of his outstanding contributions to strengthening Taiwan-France relations and promoting bilateral political interactions as well as exchanges and cooperation across a wide range of fields during his tenure. In remarks, President Lai expressed hope that the Taiwan-France partnership will continue to deepen and lead to even more fruitful cooperative achievements based on the solid foundations laid by Director Paris.

A translation of President Lai's remarks follows:

Today, by conferring the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon, I would like to express, on behalf of the people of Taiwan, our deepest gratitude for the outstanding contributions of Director Franck Paris. I recall when Director Paris assumed his post in 2023, he pledged to unite French businesses and the French community in Taiwan as “Team France” to strongly advance our bilateral ties. Over these past few years, we have deeply felt his enthusiasm and innovative spirit, which have elevated Taiwan-France relations to new strategic heights. Despite the demands of his official duties, he also took the time to learn Mandarin. This demonstration of his commitment to Taiwan and integration into Taiwanese society is truly moving.

Many important milestones in Taiwan-France political interaction have been achieved during Director Paris's tenure, including France's reception of former President Tsai Ing-wen during her visit in 2024, which was an event of great significance for our bilateral relations. Furthermore, under President Emmanuel Macron's leadership, France has consistently been a strong voice for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and broader region, as demonstrated in the joint statement by the leaders of Japan and France, as well as the G7 Leaders' Summit joint statement. The people of Taiwan have been deeply touched by this friendship shown by France in stepping forward to support us.

Aside from standing by us politically, Director Paris has actively promoted exchanges and collaboration across a wide range of fields, including advancing the Taiwan Global Pathfinders Initiative, which gave over 100 Taiwanese youth the opportunity to travel to France to pursue their aspirations. Last Thursday, the French Office in Taipei hosted a reception showcasing the program's achievements. Director Paris and I heard the young participants share their experiences, and I gained valuable insights. I would like to thank him once again for his tremendous help.

I believe that through the efforts of Director Paris, the people of Taiwan have come to see France not only as a country of arts and culture, but also as a country of science and a steadfast partner walking shoulder to shoulder with us. Looking to the future, Taiwan hopes to remain an important partner to France in advancing its goals of strategic autonomy and reindustrialization. We will continue writing new chapters for the collaboration of our two nations based on the solid foundations laid by Director Paris.

Director Paris once observed that Taiwan can be addictive, and that he had never met anyone who had visited Taiwan and said they would not like to return. Though I am deeply saddened by Director Paris's imminent return to France, I wish him every success and know that he will shine brightly in his new role. Taiwan will always be your home, and I warmly welcome you back anytime to play football, visit your beloved Hualien, and see old friends. Let us continue to witness together the deepening of Taiwan-France relations and bring about even more fruitful achievements.

Director Paris then delivered remarks, sincerely thanking President Lai and saying that it is a great honor to receive the decoration. He emphasized that this award reflects the collective efforts of his team, and said that he wishes to share the honor with his colleagues at the French Office in Taipei. He also thanked Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its longstanding cooperation and support, as well as General Manager Frank Liang (梁又文) of C SUN Manufacturing Ltd. for providing him with a deeper understanding of Taiwan's semiconductor industry and opening up many opportunities for industrial cooperation and exchanges. 

The director thanked President Lai for continuing to advance ties between Taiwan and France, as well as ties between Taiwan and Europe, noting that this cooperation has produced tangible results in many sectors. Regarding technology, he highlighted Foxconn's investments in France in areas such as semiconductors and AI. In regards to cultural exchanges, he said that he was pleased to see the Alliance Française de Taïwan would soon relocate and reopen, and thanked the government of Taiwan for supporting the project.

Director Paris also noted that political exchanges between Taiwan and France have made significant progress. In recent months, he said, senior officials from Taiwan – including leaders from the National Science and Technology Council, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and the Ministry of Culture – had visited France and received a warm welcome. He stressed that France is indeed a steadfast partner of Taiwan, and will always be committed to defending international law. He also expressed that economically, Taiwan and France are not competitors, but collaborative partners that complement each other in areas such as space, cybersecurity, and quantum technologies.

Looking ahead, Director Paris said that even after assuming his new role as head of the Paris Peace Forum, he will continue to promote Taiwan-France relations. He also expressed confidence that his successor, who is scheduled to assume their position next month, will receive a warm welcome from Taiwan. Finally, he thanked the people of Taiwan for their warmth and hospitality, and said that he will always be a friend to Taiwan in France.

Also in attendance at the ceremony was French Office in Taipei Deputy Director Cléa Le Cardeur.