The president also told his guests that the European Union (EU) should remain steadfast in its resolve to maintain the arms embargo on China, since China's human rights records have not been improved and because its passage of the Anti-Separation Law and its 800 missiles aimed at Taiwan threaten the lives of the people on the island.
Taiwan and France have a cooperative relationship. Since the Tienanmen Square Massacre in 1989, France has sold Lafayette warships and Mirage 2000 jet fighters to Taiwan to enhance its national defense. In 2005, bilateral trade between the two countries was approximately US$4 billion, from which France enjoyed a US$1.1 billion trade surplus. In addition, Taiwan is France's sixth largest importer and its fifth largest exporter in Asia. On the basis of these economic exchanges, the president and his guests look forward to strengthening the bilateral relations between Taiwan and France in the future.
The six-member delegation consisted of representatives from different political parties and was led by Senator Monique Papon who also visited Taiwan last year.