PARIS (TVBS News) — French newspaper La Libération journalist Arnaud Vaulerin emphasized on Saturday (Dec. 2) "War in Taiwan is also a war on democracy, and we ought to aid democratic nations and learn from it."
In an event organized by the Association Formose en France yesterday, entitled "Deciphering Taiwan's Influence," François Chih-chung Wu, Taiwan's representative to France, François de Rugy, former French environment minister, and journalist Vaulerin discussed Taiwan's role in the world and President Tsai Ing-wen's eight years in office.
As the author of the book "Taïwan, la Présidente et la guerre", Vaulerin suggested that Taiwan is often portrayed as a place of danger in French media, a concern that prompted him to write the book. However, after multiple visits to Taiwan, he recognized Taiwan's issues are global.
De Rugy acknowledged Taiwan's vibrant democracy and the transparency of its public discourse. He noted that despite many hardships, such as being a small island with scarce resources, natural disasters, lacking international recognition, and facing threats from a large neighbor, "Taiwan has managed to become one of the best-developed countries in the world."
Wu pointed out that Taiwan serves as a countermodel to China's authoritarianism, humorously calling China as Taiwan's "fifth major natural disaster," adding that the world would struggle to cope with a war over the Taiwan Strait.
He cautioned, "We can't be naive. Xi Jinping has ambitions to invade, so we must not underestimate or relax. Yet if we continue to discuss, pay attention, and send messages to China, war can be averted."
De Rugy spoke on the visibility of the Taiwan issue in international media, stating that there is still room for improvement in understanding Taiwan's situation. While urging French media to focus on Taiwan's perspective, he encouraged French politicians to better understand the island's politics, democracy, and economic situation.
