Taiwan hopes for progress on trade talks with the European Union next year when France takes over the bloc's presidency, and democracies must work together in the face of authoritarianism, President Tsai Ing-wen told French lawmakers on Thursday.
Taiwan has been keen to boost its ties with other Western democracies as it faces rising military and diplomatic pressure from China to accept Chinese sovereignty claims over the island.
"We hope the EU, under the leadership of France, can continue to promote Taiwan and the EU's negotiation of a bilateral investment agreement, or BIA, to open a new cooperative relationship between Taiwan and the EU," she said. "In the face of a rapidly changing international situation and the continued spread of authoritarianism, democratic partners should even more join hands together in cooperation," she said.