The French position towards Taiwan has not changed. That is what French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday on the last day of his state visit to the Netherlands. With this he responded for the first time to the international criticism he received in response to earlier statements about Taiwan.
“We want to avoid conflict” and “preserve the status quo” when it comes to Taiwan, Macron said. According to the French president, he has also made this clear to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
After a visit to China last week, Macron stated that the European Union should not be sucked into a crisis between the United States and China over Taiwan. He also argued for a more independent Europe.
In an interview with the French newspapers The echoes in Politico Macron said of Taiwan: “The worst would be if we Europeans become followers of this topic and have to adapt to the American rhythm or an exaggerated Chinese reaction.”
The interview sparked international criticism. US Republican Senator Marco Rubio made a comparison with Ukraine. “If Europe doesn’t take sides between the United States and China on Taiwan, then maybe we as the United States shouldn’t take sides on Ukraine either,” Rubio said.
‘Strategic mistake’
The interview also went badly in a number of Eastern European countries. They are very attached to the relationship with Washington. They pointed out that US military aid is badly needed in Ukraine. In the Netherlands, Ruben Brekelmans (VVD) tweeted: “Suggesting that Taiwan is not our problem is a strategic mistake”.
The spokesman for the French embassy in the United States was quick to say Macron’s comments had been over-interpreted. “The US is our ally, with whom we share our values,” he tweeted Monday.
