Lixiao Tian, China’s Consul in French Polynesia and French High Commissioner Alexandre Rochatte at a function to celebrate PRC’s anniversary. 20 September 2025 Photo: Haut-Commissariat en Polynésie française
China's top diplomat in French Polynesia Consul Lixiao Tian has expressed his "opposition" and disapproval following recent trip by local politicians to Taiwan, saying this contravenes the Paris's adherence to Beijing's "One China" policy.
During a function he hosted last week in Papeete, he told local media that France's recognition of Taiwan as "an integral part of China... is one of the cornerstones of Sino-French relations."
His comments followed a recent trip to Taipei by a delegation that included two former French Polynesia presidents and one MP from the French Senate.
"This is a truly powerful political symbol", he told local media.
Lixiao said he approached three of the elected officials (who are all members of French Polynesia's Territorial Assembly) "to express [his] opposition" after they returned to French Polynesia.
However, the diplomat said China was "in no way opposed to any other exchange in the civil, cultural, or economic world."
The Territorial Assembly's majority is currently made up of the ruling Tavini Huiraatira pro-independence party, which is sympathetic to the "One China" policy.
The sensitive issue was not part of Lixiao's remarks in his official address at the same function he hosted to mark the anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC) on Thursday 18 September (Friday, 19 September NZ time).
The function was held in presence of representatives of the local Chinese community, political leaders and recently-arrived France's representative, High Commissioner Alexandre Rochatte.
Approached by local media Radio 1 following the Chinese diplomat's remarks, former President Edouard Fritch (currently President of the Tapura Huiraatira party), stressed the trip to Taiwan had "no political goal", but rather "economic and cultural" motives.
We are 'not a Chinese province'
"French Polynesia does not have to take sides on the China-Taiwan differences".
But he stressed that even though "our links with China are strong and sincere", this doesn't mean that French Polynesia should restrain itself from "exploring new opportunities" and engaging in... constructive exchanges" in the Pacific region.
"This includes vocational training, innovation, sustainable development or tourism", he said.
"This is not diplomacy, these are concrete areas of interest".
Fritch also invokes Taiwan as being "part of our history. It is the cradle of Pacific Island migrations that gave birth to Polynesian people. This is a cultural and historic connection".
Senator Teva Rohfritch also reacted to the Chinese Consul's comments which, he said was unbecoming and bordering "impropriety".
"As a Senator, I reminded him I had no obligation to obtain his prior approval".
"I think this Consul is overstepping his prerogatives. He is crossing the lines of propriety related to his position in our Fenua, which is not a Chinese province", Rohfritch told local media.
Taiwan’s deputy Foreign Affairs minister François Wu (right) welcomes French Polynesia’s delegation in Taipei on 26 August 2025. Photo: Taiwan-Republic of China President’s office
Six days in Taipei
At the end of August 2025, a group of seven prominent politicians from French Polynesia, including two former Presidents (Gaston Tong Sang and Edouard Fritch) and one MP at the French Senate (Teva Rohfritch, also a member of the Senate's France-Taiwan friendship group), was welcomed in Taipei for six days by Taiwan's deputy Foreign Affairs minister Chih-chung "François" Wu [吳志中].
All of the delegation's members belong to pro-Autonomy (pro-France) parties.
Taiwan' government and its news agency CNA at the time described the visit as "the first from a French overseas country in almost forty years" and an opportunity to discuss strengthened cooperation in such areas as "culture, tourism and fisheries".
They also mentioned "strong relations" between Taiwan, France and French Polynesia and their intention to "write a new chapter in this relationship".
French Polynesia's government and the local Territorial Assembly at the time said they had not been informed of the trip in advance, local media reported.
Members of the Taiwan trip assured that their mission to Taiwan had received prior approval from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and that it came under the framework of international parliamentary relations.
Another delegation of Paris-based French Senators is believed to be currently in Taipei for another mission and under a similar framework.
