Visiting French parliamentarian receives Medal of Honor for Parliamentary Diplomacy

The head of a visiting French National Assembly delegation Francois de Rugy was presented with a Medal of Honor for Parliamentary Diplomacy on Friday . The honor was conferred to him by Legislative Speaker You Si-kun, who took the occasion to thank the lawmaker for passing a pro-Taiwan resolution in his country earlier this year. De Rugy says the French parliament as a whole supports Taiwan''s international participation, voicing hope for closer Franco-Taiwan exchanges in the future.

Legislative Speaker You Si-kun confers a Medal of Honor for Parliamentary Diplomacy to the head of the French National Assembly delegation, Francois de Rugy. You thanked the French lawmakers for overwhelmingly passing a pro-Taiwan resolution amid China’s pressure and threats to Taiwan.

You Si-kun
Legislative speaker
For Taiwan, which is on the receiving end of china’s abuse day and night, it is very significant. I would like to thank all the pro-Taiwan members of the National Assembly for standing up for justice and speaking up for Taiwan, for this display of resolve to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific together with Taiwan.

Francois de Rugy
National Assembly Taiwan friendship group chair
Taiwan’s and France’s parliaments have a close and friendly relationship. I will do all I can to assist Taiwan and speak up for Taiwan.

During a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, de Rugy explained why the National Assembly had decided to conduct a rare vote involving international affairs and pass the pro-Taiwan resolution. He said that seeing Taiwan’s outstanding fight against COVID showed that the international community needed Taiwan’s participation.

Francois de Rugy
National Assembly Taiwan friendship group chair
The rarity comes from the fact that the French Senate and the French National Assembly both passed pro-Taiwan resolutions. So it can be said that the parliament as a whole supports Taiwan’s international participation.

French delegate Frederique Dumas, who had previously stated “I am Taiwan” at the National Assembly, praised Taiwan’s defense of democracy and human rights.

Frederique Dumas
French National Assembly member
China does not respect freedom, or human dignity. We can that from the human rights abuses it’s committing in Xinjiang. I would like to stress, that Taiwan’s future is tied to the future of humanity. I said “I am Taiwan,” because I think we are all Taiwan.

Dumas added that Australia had maintained its support for Taiwan even in the face of Chinese sanctions. She said the French government should also not be afraid to strengthen its cooperation with free democracies, hoping for closer Taiwan-France ties in the future.