French Socialist Party Leader: Taiwan Has Never Been Part of the PRC; Status Quo is an Independent State

Olivier Faure, leader of the French Socialist Party (PS), who recently visited Taiwan, stated that Taiwan is a de facto state and, historically speaking, "the People's Republic of China has never ruled Taiwan for even a second." Faure is a member of the French National Assembly's Taiwan Friendship Group and visited Taiwan for the first time as a lawmaker from the 23rd to the 29th of this month. The Socialist Party is one of France's major left-wing parties. In an interview with Libération, Faure said he had planned the trip before the talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, adding, "Trump's strategic ambiguity on the Taiwan issue only strengthened my resolve to come here and show our friendship and active support to the Taiwanese people." He stated that the world is at a historical turning point, and the stability of the Indo-Pacific region is crucial. He warned that a war or blockade in the Taiwan Strait would trigger a global crisis and severe economic recession. Noting that over 90% of the world's most advanced chips are produced in Taiwan, he said, "Every link in the production chain for mobile phones, computers, televisions, connected devices, and data centers passes through Taiwan. Without this technology, everything would be empty talk." Faure expressed his opposition to changing the status quo by force and affirmed his support for Taiwan's democracy and autonomy. When asked about Taiwan's independence, he supported President Lai Ching-te's view that Taiwan has never belonged to the PRC and that there is no "Taiwan independence" issue, emphasizing that maintaining the status quo is sufficient. Regarding criticism from the Chinese Embassy, he said that while he respects China, the narrative the embassy tries to impose distorts reality.