A prominent Taiwanese official questioned Macron’s comments on Taiwan, questioning if France’s foundational ideas of liberty, equality, and fraternity are out of vogue.
Macron warned against getting sucked into a Taiwan issue driven by “American rhythm and a Chinese response” in an interview during a trip to China to demonstrate European unity on China policy.
He also urged the E.U. to become a “third pole” in international affairs alongside Washington and China and minimize its dependency on the U.S.
Taiwan parliament speaker, You Si-kun, questioned the French commitment to freedom on Facebook late Tuesday above a screengrab of Macron’s statements on Taiwan.
“Are ‘liberté, égalité, fraternité’ out of fashion?” he wrote, alluding to the official French motto.
“Can we disregard this once it’s in the constitution? Can mature democracies disregard foreign deaths?” You, a Democratic Progressive Party founder, said. “President Macron’s actions, a leading worldwide democracy, confuse me.”
As Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned from seeing U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the U.S., China began military drills surrounding Taiwan on Saturday.
France, like other nations, maintains a de facto embassy in Taipei and supports peace in the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry “noted” Macron’s statements on Tuesday but downplayed them.
“The Foreign Ministry extends its appreciation to France for expressing concern for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait many times and in various international settings,” spokesperson Jeff Liu told reporters, citing the recent French-British leader’s conference. “France’s solid position continues.”
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