According to French media reports, Jean-Mathieu Rey, commander of the French Navy's Pacific Region, recently falsely claimed that China's "aggressiveness" is increasing day by day, and that the claim to have "sovereign rights" in the Taiwan Strait is "completely wrong," that the Taiwan Strait is an "international strait," and that if it is necessary for the French military to pass through the Taiwan Strait, it will "pass without hesitation."
Rey said that France has about 2 million nationals and 9 million square kilometers of exclusive economic sea area in the broad "Indo-Pacific" region that must be protected, which is why the French military exists in the "Indo-Pacific" region.
It is said that the French army deployed 7,000 garrisons, 15 warships and 40 military aircraft in Tahiti in the Pacific, Noumea in French New Caledonia, and Reunion. Rey also hyped that the "main threat" facing these regions, in addition to natural disasters, the most serious problems are China's "illegal fishing" and "drug smuggling" problems.
Rey said there will be six new patrol ships in the Indo-Pacific between 2019 and 2025, two each in Tahiti, Noumea and Reunion. In addition, the Falcon 200 Guardian maritime reconnaissance aircraft will also be replaced by 5 new Falcon 2000 albatross maritime reconnaissance aircraft by 2029 to maintain the "French superiority". In this case, ensure that illegal fishing fleets, especially from China, are kept out of French waters.
In March, French Foreign Minister Le Dreyon repeatedly mentioned the Taiwan issue at the Indo-Pacific Foreign Ministers' Meeting, claiming that France was "ready for action" in order to prevent conflict.
According to foreign media reports, U.S. sources say that a French frigate "Vendemiaire" passed through the Taiwan Strait on April 6, 2019, but was followed by Chinese warships.
