France's Macron urges Europe to reduce dependency on US, stay away from Taiwan conflict

French President Emmanuel Macron asserted that Europe must reduce its dependency on the United States and avoid getting involved in the China-Taiwan conflict. The remarks from the French President came during his flight back from China, Politico reported. Earlier this month, Macron was on a three-day visit to China where he met the Chinese President Xi Jinping. From the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war to the France-China bilateral ties, the two world leaders held talks on wide-ranging issues. During his interview with Politico on his way back, the French President stated that the “great risk” Europe is facing is getting caught up in a crisis that doesn’t involve Europe in the first place. 

In the interview, Macron talked about Europe being America’s follower. “The paradox would be that, overcome with panic, we believe we are just America’s followers,” the French President said in an interview. “The question Europeans need to answer … is it in our interest to accelerate [a crisis] on Taiwan? No. The worse thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the U.S. agenda and a Chinese overreaction,” he added. Just hours after the French President’s flight left from Guangzhou to Paris, China launched a three-day “combat readiness patrols” around Taiwan. The military exercises by the Chinese forces came just days after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen met the US Speaker of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy. 

Earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron met Chinese President Xi Jinping, During his three-day trip to China, Thursday, April 6, Image: AP

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen deliver statements to the joint press briefing after a Bipartisan Leadership Meeting at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, Wednesday, April 5, 2023.

Macron on the Taiwan issue

During the trilateral meeting between Macron, Xi Jinping and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the issue of Taiwan was discussed at great length.“Stability in the Taiwan Strait is of paramount importance,” von der Leyen proclaimed during her talks with the Chinese President on Thursday. “The threat [of] the use of force to change the status quo is unacceptable,” Xi responded, as per the report by Politico. According to the American news outlet, Macron agreed with the Chinese President’s assessment and highlighted how Europe is struggling to deal with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. “Europeans cannot resolve the crisis in Ukraine; how can we credibly say on Taiwan, ‘watch out, if you do something wrong we will be there’? If you really want to increase tensions that’s the way to do it,” he said.  

Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Union Commission, sat down with Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron, Thursday, April 6, Image: Twitter - @vonderleyen

During the interview, Macron also highlighted that Europe had increased its dependency on the US for weapons and energy. He urged the need for the continent to be more self-reliable and focus on boasting Europe’s indigenous defence industry. The French President stated that Europe might suffer if the tensions between US and China escalates due to this dependency. “If the tensions between the two superpowers (US and China) heat up … we won’t have the time nor the resources to finance our strategic autonomy and we will become vassals,” he told Politico. While the French President urged the need to distance itself from the United States, he did not address the question of ongoing US security guarantees for the continent amid the raging Russia-Ukraine war.