Secretariat, Taipei City Government

During his official visit to Paris, Taipei Mayor Wan-An Chiang led a city government delegation on a municipal affairs tour. After participating in the Summit of Mayors on climate change, Mayor Chiang visited the French Senate for an official exchange. He was received by Senator Olivier Cadic, Vice President of the Senate’s Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Armed Forces Committee; Senators Else Joseph and Brigitte Devésa, Vice Chairs of the Taiwan–France Friendship Group; Executive Secretary Philippe Péjo. Senator Cadic, who had visited Taipei last year, thanked Mayor Chiang for his strong support in facilitating the expansion of the Lycée International Français de Taipei (LIFT). Mayor Chiang emphasized his commitment to maintaining Taipei’s close ties with France and extended a warm invitation for continued annual exchanges.

Senator Cadic recounted his visit to Taiwan with Vice Chair Joseph, noting that despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, they were determined to make the journey. He appreciated Mayor Chiang for supporting LIFT’s expansion into secondary education. Senator Cadic shared that he visited Taipei last year specifically to convey his gratitude in person. He praised Taipei for its consistently warm and generous hospitality toward visiting delegations and thanked Mayor Chiang for his unwavering support, which enabled smooth progress in the school’s development.

Mayor Chiang expressed his great honor at being received by the French Senate, stating that he met with Senator Cadic twice in Taipei and that their discussions were warm and engaging. With a smile, Mayor Chiang recalled promising the Senator that he would one day return the visit to France and expressed his pleasure at having fulfilled his promise. He praised Senator Cadic for his dynamic presence in both Taipei and Paris and recounted how, during their first meeting, the idea of expanding LIFT to include a secondary division was discussed. Mayor Chiang had immediately pledged his full support. Thanks to the collective efforts of both sides, the school’s expansion was successfully completed even before Senator Cadic’s visit to Taipei the following year. Mayor Chiang emphasized that LIFT stands as a symbol of the strong, enduring friendship between Taiwan and France and reaffirmed his commitment to fostering further progress and expanding opportunities for exchange between the two countries.

Vice Chair Joseph shared her previous experiences of visiting Taiwan, particularly recalling her impression of a traditional Taiwanese glove puppetry performance. She noted that her electoral district in Paris hosts an annual puppet festival every September and expressed hope to invite a Taiwanese troupe to perform in France as a means to deepen cultural and artistic exchange. In response, Mayor Chiang voiced his support, highlighting that Taipei is home to several renowned glove puppetry masters. He added that the city also looks forward to collaborating with Paris in various cultural domains, such as music, the arts, and film, and pledged to instruct the Department of Cultural Affairs to promptly devise concrete plans for future cooperation upon his return to Taipei.

Vice Chair Devésa remarked that she had previously met with Mayor Chiang and had been deeply impressed by the fruitful cooperation between Taipei and Paris. She highlighted numerous areas where both cities can learn from each other and expressed hope for continued exchange and collaboration.

After the meeting, Senator Cadic personally accompanied Mayor Chiang and his delegation on a guided tour of the Senate. As they passed a mural from the era of Napoleon III, Senator Cadic humorously called it “the earliest Facebook,” noting the display of Napoleon III’s portrait, Napoleon I’s portrait, and the plebiscite vote count, likening it to modern-day follower counts on social media. The group also viewed a rare copy of the Constitution of the Fifth Republic and attended a live session of the Senate. Standing by the grand windows of the Senate library and looking out over the Luxembourg Garden, Mayor Chiang reflected sentimentally that he had visited the same location 12 years ago with his wife. He added that the scenery remained just as beautiful and that this visit to the French Senate had now added a new and meaningful chapter to that cherished memory.