France's new representative in Taiwan says cooperation goes beyond semiconductors

Aug 28, 2026

France is deepening ties with Taiwan across tech, energy, and science, a positive sign for both sides as they try to build supply chains that do not depend on risky partners.

  • Frédéric Laplanche has taken over as France's top representative in Taipei, a China specialist who has been posted to Taiwan repeatedly since the 1990s.
  • France wants cooperation far beyond chips — aerospace, quantum computing, telecoms, AI, energy resilience, and biotech.
  • France is selling its nearly carbon-free power system as a model, with most electricity coming from nuclear plus wind, solar, and hydro.
  • On Taiwan's push for "democratic supply chains," France agrees countries should avoid leaning too hard on any one supplier or on flawed technology.
  • Taiwan's rise is the backdrop: income per person now tops South Korea, Spain, and Japan, and it leads the world in chips and electronics.

Outlook: Fourteen French companies and research bodies arrive in Taipei for the semiconductor show opening September 2, the first test of how fast this partnership grows.

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