Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

President Ma Ying-jeou on the morning of October 22 at the Presidential Office met with the new Director General of the French Institute in Taipei Mr. Patrick Bonneville. The president, on behalf of the government, extended a warm welcome to Director General Bonneville and said he looks forward to a continued strengthening of bilateral relations in the future.

President Ma said that Director General Bonneville, who took his position in September, is well versed in Asian affairs and speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese. The president added that he is confident that with Mr. Bonneville's appointment, friendly relations between Taiwan and France are sure to continue to improve based on the existing foundation. The president particularly pointed out that trade between the two countries reaches US$6 billion a year, indicating the close substantive relations between Taiwan and France. In addition to the trade relationship, President Ma said Taiwan and France also engage in a wide range of cultural exchanges. For instance, the exhibit of paintings of Jean Francois Millet held here recently was enormously popular among the Taiwan public. The president said this demonstrates that there are many local people who love French culture and arts. In addition, President Ma said that Taiwan and France have engaged in cooperation in the area of technology for many years, adding that French-made Mirage jetfighters are the main type of plane that Taiwan uses to ensure its air defense. President Ma said he hopes Director General Bonneville will make the most of his expertise in Asian affairs during his tenure here and work to continue to strengthen the wide range of cooperative relations between Taiwan and France.

Director General Bonneville expressed his appreciation to President Ma for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with him. He said that being appointed to serve as France's representative in Taiwan is a great honor for him, especially as Taiwan is the world's 15th largest economy. He added that the French business community has quite a few major investments in Taiwan and that the French government places considerable importance on these ties. He said he looks forward to working to continue to strengthen economic, trade, financial, technology, and cultural interaction, creating a mutually beneficial situation for both sides.