French parliamentarians are publicly defending Taiwan Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim's right to visit Europe, a small but pointed win for Taiwan and a rebuff to Beijing.

• Hsiao spoke at a democracy forum on the Italian island of Ventotene, invited by a European Parliament vice president.
• Two French National Assembly members from the Taiwan friendship group said her trips to France, Italy or Belgium should not be controversial.
• The argument: Taiwan's people have their own leaders, and hosting them is not meant as an insult to China.
• One lawmaker tied the Taiwan Strait to wider Pacific security, noting pressure on Japanese islands and possible spillover to French-run New Caledonia.
• Both said they would happily meet Hsiao if she came to Paris, though the French government's position is a separate question.

Outlook: Expect Beijing to protest the European stops while French lawmakers keep testing how far parliamentary contact with Taipei can go.