Macron doubles down on Taiwan take: We are not US 'vassals' but allies
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The French leader says Europe has the right to think for itself on its sovereign decisions.
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French President Emmanuel Macron arrives to attend a visit at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, April 7, 2023. (Reuters)
Being an ally of the United States does not mean being a "vassal" state, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday, commenting on the position from Taiwan, AFP reported on Wednesday.
The French leader reiterated his stance of backing the "status quo" on Taiwan, which is contrary to what Washington is promoting and trying to establish in the Asia-Pacific.
"Being an ally does not mean being a vassal... doesn't mean that we don't have the right to think for ourselves," Macton told reporters in Amsterdam while with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
But the French President appeared to stick by remarks in an interview at the weekend, in which he said Europe should not be a "follower" of either Washington or Beijing or get caught up in any escalation.
In an interview published on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Europe must not be a "follower" of either the US or China on Taiwan, warning that the EU risks becoming entangled in "crises that aren't ours."
He also stated that "we must be clear where our views overlap with the US, but whether it's about Ukraine, relations with China, or sanctions, we have a European strategy."
Paris "supports the One China policy and the search for a peaceful resolution to the situation," Macron confirmed.
Read more: Borrell's visit to China adds to global stability: Foreign Ministry
Paris doubles down
Macron's interview remarks were frowned upon in Washington and Taiwan while gaining hints of support and agreements from his European allies.
Former US President Donald Trump expressed outrage that the US is not able to influence world events during these times.
"You got this crazy world is blowing up and the United States has absolutely no say. And Macron, who's a friend of mine, is over with China kissing his ass," Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday.
Read more: Heading East, Macron, Von der Leyen to make significant visit to China
Macron on his part refused to take part in this debate with America's former leader, saying he had "nothing to say about the comments by former president Trump because he is taking part in this escalation."
You Si-kun, the speaker of the Taiwanese parliament, questioned France's devotion to freedom in a post on Facebook late on Tuesday, which was posted above a screenshot of news about Macron's remarks on Taiwan.
"Are 'liberté, égalité, fraternité' out of fashion?," he wrote, in reference to the official French motto of "liberty, equality, fraternity".
"The actions of President Macron, a leading international democracy, leave me puzzled," he further stated.
Nothing unusual
Macron's visit to the Netherlands - the first by a French president in 23 years - did not pass without public protests on his pension reform plans.
According to the news site, two protesters were detained by local police that ran toward the French President outside the University of Amsterdam.
Police officers arrested two individuals "for running towards the president, for disturbing public order and threatening," social security, Lex van Liebergen, a spokesperson for Amsterdam police, told AFP.
"For the honour of the workers and a better world -- even if Macron doesn't like it, we are here," one demonstrator chanted, before being caught by Dutch police servicemembers.
Macron later said reforms inevitably caused protests, citing recent rallies by Dutch farmers against environmental plans.
The French President considered that protests are a natural occurrence whenever reforms are introduced, citing the demonstrations held recently by Dutch farmers against environmental plans as an example.
Read more: Mass protests, Macron under fire after pushing through pension law
"We must sometimes accept controversy, and we must try to build a path for the future," he told a crowd of French citizens residing in the Netherlands.
The Amsterdam protesters' incident came just one day after demonstrators disrupted Macron's speech on European sovereign policies in The Hague on Tuesday.
The demonstrators shouted during his speech: "Where is French democracy?" and unfurled a banner saying: "President of Violence and Hypocrisy."
Macron's state visit was meant to promote the renewed closeness of the two countries since Brexit when the Netherlands lost a key EU ally with Britain's departure.
