Taiwan and France hold their first economic and trade dialogue

The first Taiwan-France high-level economic and trade dialogue was held in the European Union (EU) Member State, underscoring the commitment of both sides to deepen cooperation in the industrial supply chain.

The event, attended by Taiwan’s Minister of Economy, Wang Mei-hua, addressed topics such as the aerospace industry, artificial intelligence (AI), electric vehicles, renewable energy and semiconductors.

During the dialogue, Wang stated that the country has extensive experience in manufacturing components for electric vehicles. He cited a new solid-state battery plant that Taoyuan City-based ProLogium Technology Co. will establish in France. As for the aerospace sector, the two partners can further deepen collaboration based on the strength of Taiwan’s satellite ground equipment and France’s strong space industry, the minister added.

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Wang Mei-hua urged more joint research and development projects on industrial applications of AI, adding that there is also great potential for cooperation in sixth-generation technology, information and communications technology and transformation to net zero emissions in the framework of the France 2030 program.

According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Economy (MOEA), the minister will visit French associations and companies such as Plateforme automobile and Eutelsat Group during her trip. The MOEA is also scheduled to hold a roundtable on Taiwan’s industrial policies and a seminar on offshore wind energy to update its French counterparts on the nation’s relevant developments.

Official statistics show that bilateral trade reached 6.09 billion US dollars in 2023, marking a record since 1998. Taiwan’s investment in France reached 720 million US dollars last year, while French investment in Taiwan amounted to 230 million dollars, reaching new historical highs in both cases.