FRANCE: Emmanuel Macron stands his ground after making his hostile comments on Taiwan, saying that Taiwan’s allyship with the US does not endow it with the status of a “vassal.” Macron later supported his own remarks in an interview on Sunday, highlighting the sheer necessity for Eurasia not to be too dependent on the US.
Nils Schmid, the foreign policy spokesperson for Baerbock’s Social Democrat coalition partners, stated to Der Spiegel that she encountered “the unplanned challenge of clarifying Europe’s stance on Taiwan and firming up the warnings that the chancellor [Olaf Scholz] sounded during his meeting with Xi [Jinping] in November.”
Macron mentioned in a press conference in Amsterdam along with Mark Rutte, the Dutch Prime Minister, that “being an ally does not mean being a vassal [or] mean that we don’t have the right to think for ourselves.”
Last week, Macron visited China, where he mentioned that the policies of both France and Europe in Taiwan “have not changed.” “France is for the status quo in Taiwan,” he adds.
Demonstrations have been looming in light of France’s initiative to augment the pension age from 62-64 that heavily criticise Macron and his policies. On Wednesday, two demonstrators were arrested, and on Tuesday, protestors interrupted Macron’s speech in The Hague.
This interview happened just when military activities were being taken off the coast of Taiwan by China in relation to a tete-a-tete between Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan’s president, and the US House speaker, Kevin McCarthy, in Los Angeles.
A spokesperson for the German foreign ministry, Andrea Sasse, blamed China for causing tensions with its military activities concerning Taiwan. She states, “We have the impression that measures such as threatening military gestures increase the risk of unintended military clashes.”
Responses were made by the US Republican senators, calling on the US to establish its support for Ukraine if Europe was unwilling to support the US over China. Marco Rubio, the Republican senator, mentions, “If France won’t pick sides over Taiwan, maybe the US shouldn’t pick sides on Ukraine and leave it to Europe.”
Charles Mihel, the President of the European Council, by showing some form of sympathy, mentions, “There has been a leap forward on strategic autonomy compared with several years ago.” On the issue of the relationship with the United States, it’s clear that there can be nuances and sensitivities around the table of the European Council.”
He further added, “Some European leaders wouldn’t say things the same way that Emmanuel Macron did, but I think quite a few really think like Emmanuel Macron.”
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