Macron said Europe should become a “third pole” independent of Washington and China and not intensify the Taiwan issue, which caused a stir.
Political voices on both sides of the Atlantic condemned the president’s too cordial stance as Beijing’s military operations around Taiwan.
“The worst thing would be to assume that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and submit to the American rhythm or a Chinese overreaction,” Macron told Les Echos and Politico during his three-day visit to China last week.
China has always annexed democratic Taiwan by force. Taiwan denies China’s assertions.
“Macron succeeded to transform his China trip into a P.R. win for Xi and a foreign policy nightmare for Europe,” tweeted Bundestag foreign committee Lawmaker Norbert Roettgen. He called the French president “increasingly isolating himself throughout Europe.”
In a Twitter video, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio drew analogies to the Ukraine crisis, which Macron believes China can resolve.
“If Europe doesn’t take sides between the U.S. and China on Taiwan, then maybe we shouldn’t either [on Ukraine],” the Republican senator said.
Pascal Confavreux, the French embassy’s U.S. spokesperson, said Macron misspoke.
He tweeted. Elysee said nothing.
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