On May 21, DSET hosted a visiting delegation composed of four members of the French National Assembly. The two sides exchanged views on key issues such as national security and energy resilience. Dr. Kai-Shen Huang, Director of DSET’s Democratic Governance Research Program, delivered the welcome remarks and expressed appreciation for the visit led by Mr. Guillaume Kasbarian, member of the France–Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group and former Minister of Public Service.
The visit coincided with the conclusion of France’s 2025 “Choose France” summit, which marked a record high in foreign investment. Notably, Foxconn announced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with French firms Thales SA and Radiall SA to establish advanced OSAT (Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test) and satellite mass production facilities in France. President Emmanuel Macron publicly acknowledged the cooperation on social media, where he shared a graphic that included the Taiwanese flag.
DSET briefed the delegation on Foxconn’s announcement, which highlighted the investment’s focus on serving clients in the defense and satellite sectors, particularly the Starlink mass production initiative. This aligns with Taiwan’s current policy direction of strengthening resilient satellite communications through cooperation with European partners. DSET also presented its research on Taiwan’s wartime satellite communication resilience and called for closer collaboration between Taiwan and France in this area.
On the topic of energy, amid the European Union’s ongoing policy debate on energy transition pathways, DSET shared scenarios regarding Taiwan’s power generation strategy in the event of a Taiwan Strait blockade, including how renewable and reserve energy sources would be deployed. The French delegation, in turn, discussed Europe’s renewed focus on energy autonomy in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war and its impact on national energy strategies.
In addressing disinformation threats, the delegation shared insights into the impact of Russian-backed disinformation campaigns on political polarization within the EU. In response, Dr. Huang introduced a recent report by DSET’s Democratic Governance Research Program on the influence of Chinese disinformation on Taiwan’s 2024 presidential election.
In addition, DSET’s National Security Research Program previewed an upcoming report on Taiwan’s drone industry, outlining developments in the domestic drone supply chain. The report noted Taiwan’s growing drone exports to Europe over the past two years, including emerging cooperation with French firms, though exports to France remain limited. DSET expressed hope for stronger bilateral collaboration in the drone supply chain moving forward.
The visiting delegation comprised four members of the French National Assembly:
- Mr. Guillaume Kasbarian, member of the France–Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group and former Minister of Public Service
- Ms. Estelle Youssouffa, member of the France–Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group
- Mr. Paul Midy, member of the Economic Affairs Committee
- Mr. Corentin Le Fur, member of the France–Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group
