Macron says Europe must not be 'follower' of U.S., China on Taiwan

There you go, it was a peace mission after all. All business, sending Euro jobs to China, appeasing Xi and give USA the middle finger.

Macron is straddling a massive chasm between USA and China, AND he is dragging Europe into it, this is not going to end well for the French people. Even if he's got the ticker to build a multipolar order, which I doubt anyone does, all it's going to mean is nations are going to be either guessing the next move, or fall inline.

I bet the UK is very glad it got out of the EU when it did, things won't be pretty in Europe for a long time.

This is quite shocking.

Macron out of France, escaping the malcontent that he stirred up in France.

Soon he will quit-Dieu merci!

This is quite shocking

...not shocking enough. Apparently a deal was done to 'tone' down the story between Politico and Macron team, in the real actual interview Macron was much more shocking, much more forthwith, and Sinocentric, ie what is 'multipolar' could actually mean France is 'with' Beijing.

The supply chain is difficult enough already for aviation (Airbus and Boeing), now with this news, and the eventual US aviation decoupling with China, can you picture how much Airbus will be denied of supply chain because USA is going to suspect it will eventually flow onto China.

Macron is straddling, not by choice but because he's being forced to by Europe elites, like von der Leyen is also.

The Ukraine war didn't happen just by chance, it happened because Europe's elites lined up all the stars for Putin in becoming dependent on Russian energy and resources. Now Europe's elites are making themselves dependent on China. Shocking indeed.

Macron keeping up the DeGaulle tradition of "France first" at the expense of other democracies. The spirit of those who stormed the Bastille clearly does not remain in this man.

Let the French eat Borscht

Macron is an absolute clown, though I have no sympathy for the French people. Twice now they have chosen him over Marine Le Pen. His policies on immigration and the vaccine have been utterly terrible. He is largely responsible for accelerating France into a woke dystopia.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview published Sunday that Europe must not be a "follower" of either the U.S. or China on Taiwan, saying that the bloc risks entanglement in "crises that aren't ours".

In a vacuum? This sentiment is not particularly new or controversial in my opinion. France has never really embraced American foreign policy with open arms. They opposed Bush's "War on Terror" - an arguably respectable and principled position.

And I would actually agree that American foreign policy on Taiwan needs a little bit of pushback. The reality is neither Ukraine nor Taiwan are worth risking global nuclear war between several superpowers. Putting aside the things I don't like about him, Macron is actually being realistic here.

The optics are not good though. It seems like Xi "seduced" Macron into saying this, and with the backdrop of the French protests happening... Yikes. Just yikes.

saying that the bloc risks entanglement in "crises that aren't ours".

Kind of like the US spending 100 billion for Europe’s Ukraine “entanglement” that isn’t ours?

China is by far the EUs largest trading partner. Of course it makes sense for them to move away from trade in the US$. The only thing USA exports to Europe is inflation. When is Japan going to trade with it's biggest trading partner in national currencies so USA can't export inflation to Japan?

The optics are not good though. It seems like Xi "seduced" Macron into saying this, and with the backdrop of the French protests happening... Yikes. Just yikes.

Depends on who the optics are aimed at.

If it's aimed at the 50 business delegates, then .... well, right on target. I do feel for the French people though, shafted with their pension, shafted with skilled (highly paid) jobs off to China, and soon shafted with security as well. Makes his the title of his mission to Beijing being 'Peace' severely misleading though given China has for the last two days been practicing encircling and attacking Taiwan.

https://www.reuters.com/business/beijing-french-business-community-welcomes-macrons-overtures-2023-04-06/

Macron will loose a lot of credibility over this, not that he has much left.

China is by far the EUs largest trading partner.

...only if USA keep buying Chinese goods.

Because of the role a French President plays in the Fracophonie group, he's the most exposed to where the population of Africa is looking, geopolitically. And it isn't towards the EU, or North America.

Finding that middle non-ideological lane's NOT so easy in this day and age, good luck to Macron in getting this weapons proliferation proxy war madness contained.

After all, majority of victims simply starving to death or malnourished due to war's MAJOR impact on global food inflation, lack of crop yields due to shortages of fertilizer and inflation in general, especially in undeveloped world.

We've all seen how well going it alone has worked for Europe in the past year. If the intent is just to do more Chinese business they should know that that money is just going to fuel the Russian war machine. No ethical person would take the PRC side on the Taiwan issue, either.

China is by far the EUs largest trading partner.

This isn't true. Why do people post things that can trivially be proven false?

1 USA €536B 2 UK €462B 3 China €249B more than 50% less than the USA. 4 Switzerland €247B

I'm disappointed. France could have been an EU leader by recognizing Taiwan as a country and sponsoring their joining the UN with full rights.

Macron is unhappy with the US, because Biden's subsidies for green energy help US companies and mandate manufacturing/raw resources come from the US. Macron told Biden about this concern last year, but got only a smile, no help for Europe.

Vive la France. Dialog is always good. Macron helped out the French economy with contracts for AirBus and the civilian nuclear energy. I do wonder what uber expensive tea they were sipping on. I'm going to guess Long Jin (龙井) - Dragon Well green tea from the Hangzhou region.

Shimon we do not buy Japanese good,you figure wonder why Chinese sell 10 of billion of 1 dollars good ,help stimulate America economy,Maybe Japan find a product that America need for a dollar

Kind of like the US spending 100 billion for Europe’s Ukraine “entanglement” that isn’t ours?

Yes, but thats what the US does. When the time comes, the US will lose interest in Ukraine and Zelensky (if they leave him in place) will be surprised at how his former big supporter is pressuring him and backing him into places he doesnt want to go.

I'm going to guess Long Jin (龙井) - Dragon Well green tea from the Hangzhou region.

Yummy!

The Fu what legal basis is Taiwan a country,what if Russia recognized Puerto Rico as country,it would be the same non sense

Smart guy. The US led world order is coming to and end. It's nothing to be afraid of, hopefully we can pass the baton peacefully and carry on with our lives.

Something makes me think the US wont give up their premiership without a fight though.

what legal basis is Taiwan a country

The fact that is not recognized by UNSC prevents if from legally being a sovereign country.

Nah !...nope !

...ok, let's see...

It should be blatantly obvious that it's the USA agenda that's dragging Europe into conflicts.

...uh, doh, that's exactly what USA vs China is about, and Macron has decided to straddle the chasm, rather than be 'secured' on one side, the side that liberated France from Nazis plunder.

For France, it means Macron is going to have to explain Taiwanese, HK, Japanese boycott of French products. Good luck with that Em.

Macron noted that Europeans need to "wake up" and think about their own interests.

"Our priority is not to adapt to the agenda of other countries in all regions of the world," the French leader added.

This goes for Japan as well. Look out for your own. That’s what you were chosen to do.

It appears to me the focus on the Ukraine conflict is rapidly moving to the much anticipated epicenter of the Taiwan straight and the Middle East.

...ok, even if true, how is that going to be managed if France is on the wrong side of USA?

But, please open your eyes, because it's not just the above that China is fixated on.

China has already said its core interests include: the SCS, the artic sealanes, the B&R corridors, South America springboard to antartica, Tibetan high plains, South Caucasus...

I think you've overlooked the Chinese new world bank and what that means for Europe.

LOL, ask Putin about Chinese dominated banks. China paid for oil in Yuan, Putin wants to exchange Yuan for otger currencies, China said nah, can't do tgat, so sorry, you take, you keep. LOL.

Macron keeping up the DeGaulle tradition of "France first" at the expense of other democracies.

Quite shocking concept that a French leader is putting " France first " ( for once ) isnt it?

Perhaps Kishida could try the same?

Complete and utter lies. Now Taiwan is a core interest. China has been clear on this all the way back to 1949 and the founding of the PRC.

China has already said its core interests include: the SCS, the artic sealanes, the B&R corridors, South America springboard to antartica, Tibetan high plains, South Caucasus...

Macron is straddling a massive chasm between USA and China, AND he is dragging Europe into it, this is not going to end well for the French people. 

High energy costs in Europe are making it impossible for the manufacturing sector to survive, and there are two vampires which are sucking manufacturing out of a dying Europe: the US and China.

All business, sending Euro jobs to China, appeasing Xi and give USA the middle finger.

The US is selling LNG at four times the price the Russians sold it, all in the name of protecting European freedom and democracy and energy independence (from Russia). The US is now offering incentives to European manufacturers to set up their factories in the US and in the process, helping the US to rebuild the manufacturing sector which they had exported to China over the past 30 years.

China is also attracting European manufacturers with the promise of its huge China + market, which includes east Asia.

The EU is decline because of the Ukraine-Russia war. This war is a win for the US at the expense of the Europeans but a loss as well for the US in terms of alternative currencies. But the Europeans are happy: yay! We got Finland to join.

what legal basis is Taiwan a country

The UN charter contains the idea of "respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples". In other words, it's up to the people of Taiwan to determine their future. Countries preventing such self-determination are in breach of the charter - i.e. they are acting illegally.

He is a coward. This is our crisis. We must stand up to Chinese and Russian warmongers otherwise they will eat us alive...

China saved failing French economy, meanwhile US wants Russia down at the expense of whole Europe

anything to get popularity as his nation burns down. Over 50% don’t want Ukraine war, so probably more don’t want China war.

The reality is neither Ukraine nor Taiwan are worth risking global nuclear war between several superpowers.

Aren't they though? If the precedent is set that territory can be grabbed from the free world in 2023 with a conventional war or worse even through simple nuclear blackmail, where will that leave the world as a whole? The fact is the US is taking the position of the status quo on both issues.

The Fu what legal basis is Taiwan a country,what if Russia recognized Puerto Rico as country,it would be the same non sense

Taiwan is only not recognized due to PRC bullying, it is as simple as that. It was formerly recognized by most of the countries on the planet. I'm not an expert on the shameful decision to throw them out of the UN but I bet that was ultimately at the PRC insistence as well. As for Puerto Rico, absolutely wrong: the US has clearly controlled PR in every respect for over 100 years. The PRC hasn't controlled Taiwan in any respect since it was founded. Bullying countries to shut down embassies is not real control.

The Fu what legal basis is Taiwan a country,what if Russia recognized Puerto Rico as country,it would be the same non sense

If Puerto Rico voted to be a separate country, I bet the US Congress would allow it. Their last votes show they want to be a state. Puerto Rico has been a "US Territory" since 1899.

Taiwan has never, ever, been part of Mainland China. In fact, Taiwan had full UN membership as the representative for all of China. It was only to appease the CCP-Chinese that the "1-China" idea came to be. Today, we know it is a mistake, but at the time and for 30-ish years, it made sense.

When the CCP is gone, we won't need to worry about petty things.

When trying to make comparisons, pick things that actually warrant comparison. Please.

anything to get popularity as his nation burns down. Over 50% don’t want Ukraine war, so probably more don’t want China war.

No Ukrainians want war. They don't want Russian control either.

China doesn't want war either. It wants Taiwan to hand over all control and is willing to be violent to achieve it. They've said that for the last few years, multiple times and at multiple govt levels.

Mr Xi said unification should be achieved peacefully, but warned that the Chinese people had a "glorious tradition" of opposing separatism.

he pledged to "smash" any attempts at formal Taiwanese independence.

But Taiwan's presidential office said that public opinion was very clear in rejecting one country, two systems. In a separate statement, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council called on China to abandon its "provocative

As for Crimea

The Crimean parliament was taken over by armed Russian troops, and unilaterally declared independence from Ukraine.

You don't have free elections when foreign troops take over parliament and that foreign state declares independence. Russia has been terrible towards people in Crimea over the last 100+ yrs. They've forced many people to leave or die. Many died due to being forced to leave by the USSR. Russia did the same with Crimea - sent in thugs, harassed anyone who wasn't pro-Russian and scared normal people to leave so that Russians could come in, take over jobs, houses, etc for $0 or extremely low prices.

Russian imperialism on display. It is a land grab for many reasons. Industrialized areas, coal mining, and for better access to the Black Sea which provides sufficient military and economic reasons for Russia's interest.

Russification of both areas has been ongoing for over a decade. Even if people living there didn't want to be Russian citizens, they'd get a Russian passport to reduce "hassles". Ukrainians are extremely practical people, but it won't change what is in their hearts, just to be forced to hold a Russian passport.

JT is not reporting about the deepening dialogue this past trip with Xi and cooperation between the Chinese and French navies in the Pacific Ocean. France has two strategically located overseas territories in this theatre - French Polynesia, and New Caledonia. These islands are located right on the so-called “Third Island Chain” to the northeast of Australia. You can read the joint statement France and China made from Macron's visit.