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- His comments risk riling Washington and highlight divisions in the European Union over how to approach China
- China views democratic, self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to take it one day
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview published Sunday that Europe must not be a 鈥渇ollower鈥� of either the US or China on Taiwan, saying that the bloc risks entanglement in 鈥渃rises that aren鈥檛 ours.鈥�
His comments risk riling Washington and highlight divisions in the European Union over how to approach China, as the US steps up confrontation with its closest rival and Beijing draws closer to Russia in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine.
鈥淭he worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must be followers and adapt ourselves to the American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction,鈥� Macron told media including French business daily Les Echos and Politico as he returned Friday from a three-day state visit to Beijing.
Citing his prized ideal of EU 鈥渟trategic autonomy,鈥� the French leader said that 鈥渨e must be clear where our views overlap with the US, but whether it鈥檚 about Ukraine, relations to China or sanctions, we have a European strategy.鈥�
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to get into a bloc versus bloc logic,鈥� he added, saying Europe 鈥渟hould not be caught up in a disordering of the world and crises that aren鈥檛 ours.鈥�
China views democratic, self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to take it one day, by force if necessary.
Angered by Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen鈥檚 meeting last week with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Beijing launched massive military exercises around the island immediately after Macron departed for France, including simulated strikes on its territory.
Macron discussed Taiwan with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Friday, during a visit in which he was feted but more hawkish EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was kept mostly at arm鈥檚 length.
His Elysee Palace office said the talks had been 鈥渄ense and frank鈥� and that the French president was concerned about 鈥済rowing tensions in the region鈥� that could lead to 鈥渁 terrible accident.鈥�
Macron was 鈥渟imply talking about the risk of Chinese 鈥榦verreaction鈥�, forgetting China wishes to change the status quo by taking over Taiwan one way or the other,鈥� Antoine Bondaz of the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS) commented on Twitter.
鈥淲hy this desire never to recall we have an interest in maintaining stability?鈥� he added, warning that 鈥渢his ambiguity... instils doubt in our like-minded partners.鈥�
Taiwan island was just one area that risked 鈥渁n acceleration of tensions breaking out between the duopoly鈥� of China and the US, Macron said.
If the confrontation escalates too quickly, Europeans 鈥渨on鈥檛 have the time or the resources to finance our strategic autonomy and will become vassals, whereas we can build a third pole if we have a few years,鈥� he added.
Europe鈥檚 emergence as an independent geostrategic player has been a goal of Macron鈥檚 for years, in line with a tradition going back to Fifth Republic founding president Charles de Gaulle who saw France as a balancing power between the Cold War blocs.