French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday said that Paris’ position on Taiwan had not changed and that he favored the “status quo,” after he was asked to clarify comments that prompted a backlash in the US and Europe.
In an interview with news outlet Politico and daily Les Echos, Macron cautioned against being drawn into a crisis over Taiwan driven by an “American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction.”
That brought criticism from some politicians and commentators in Europe and the US, with former US president Donald Trump accusing him of “kissing ass” to Beijing.
Photo: AFP
“The French and European position on Taiwan is the same one. We’re in favor of the status quo. This policy is constant and hasn’t changed,” Macron told a news conference during a state visit in the Netherlands.
“It’s the one China policy and a Pacific resolution of the situation. That’s what I said in my one-to-one meeting with [Chinese President] Xi Jinping (習近平); that’s what was said everywhere; we haven’t changed,” he said.
Macron did not mention Taiwan in his public statement to the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing last week, an omission that commentators criticized.
The French leader also said he shared a vision of an “open Indo-Pacific region” with US President Joe Biden, even if they each had their own approach on China.
“I can tell you he wants to avoid any escalation, in spite of the current tension,” Macron said.
He said that Trump’s comments were an example of the escalation sought by some.
A French diplomat told reporters earlier that Macron did not want to get drawn into the “tension” strategy of the Republican leadership of the US Congress on Taiwan.
The meeting between President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California last week was a “provocation,” the diplomat said.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who was hosting Macron for a two-day state visit, said he had a very successful meeting and did not distance himself from his guest’s comments, but reaffirmed his belief in the Western alliance.
“Our strong transatlantic relation is there for very good reasons; the US is an essential partner for our freedom and safety,” Rutte said. “But at the same time, we agree that an open and strategically autonomous Europe should be capable to develop those relations also with other parts of the world. To be a player, and not the playing field.”
Macron also confirmed that a French military ship had sailed through the Taiwan Strait in recent days, demonstrating France’s robust engagement in the region.
The Ministry of National Defense on Wednesday said it was aware of the transit.
Without identifying the ship, General Yen Yu-hsien (顏有賢) of the Office of Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence confirmed the passage, but did not elaborate.
Yen’s remarks partially confirmed the passage by Prairial, a Floreal-class surveillance frigate of the French Navy, reportedly from late Sunday to early Monday, the Chinese-language online news site RWMedia reported early on Wednesday.
Prairial transited through the Taiwan Strait to the East China Sea as part of its upcoming participation in the Enforcement Coordination Cell mission, said the multilanguage blog “MariTimesCrimes,” which provides information on maritime crimes and issues, on Monday.
The last time Paris confirmed a warship transit of the Taiwan Strait was in October 2021 by intelligence vessel Dupuy-de-Lome and prior to that, by side frigate Vendemiaire in April 2019.
Additional reporting by CNA
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