TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has slammed China’s attempts to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.
In a recent interview with Nikkei, Le Drian said France “condemns any attempt to undermine the status quo, any action likely to cause an incident that would lead to an escalation.”
The foreign minister said that the stability of the strait is key to the stability of the Indo-Pacific and mentioned that France has military bases located in its Pacific territories, including New Caledonia. Although he did not specifically mention China, he expressed concern over aggressive actions in the region.
Le Drian said France is “very keen” to prevent a strait conflict. In February 2021, the French Navy sent its nuclear submarine Emeraude and the support ship Seine to the South China Sea, and in October, it dispatched the signals intelligence ship Dupuy de Lome through the strait.
