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French lawmakers arrive in Taiwan for a five-day visit in a sign of growing Western support
- Members of the French National Assembly will meet President Tsai Ing-wen and other top officials in the second visit by a French delegation this year
- It comes as the Taiwanese defence minister warns that military tensions across the strait are at their highest in four decades
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A delegation of French lawmakers arrived in Taiwan on Wednesday in the latest sign of increasingly vocal Western support for Taipei having a place on the world stage despite threats from Beijing.
The six-member delegation from the French National Assembly, led by Francois de Rugy, will meet President Tsai Ing-wen and other top officials before leaving on Sunday, Taipei’s foreign ministry said.
It is the second time this year a delegation from France has visited the island and is the latest in a flurry of trips made by European and American politicians that have angered Beijing.
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In October, China condemned a visit by a group of French senators led by Alain Richard to Taiwan, accusing the delegation of undermining relations between Paris and Beijing.
Richard’s group made the visit despite warnings from China and he called Taiwan a “country” repeatedly during the trip.
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Taiwan deploys its most advanced F-16V fighter jets amid rising military tensions with Beijing
Taiwan deploys its most advanced F-16V fighter jets amid rising military tensions with Beijing
Beijing claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory to be retaken one day, by force if necessary.
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